London: Men can better fight inflammatory diseases as compared to women, thanks to their sex hormones that are known as testoterones, claims a German research.
Inflammation is the initial response of our body to harmful stimuli, which could include pathogens, bacteria and other microorganisms.
"It is mostly women who are affected by diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or asthma," explains Oliver Werz, professor of pharmacy and medical chemistry at Friedrich Schiller Jena University, Germany.
"Although this is a fact known for some time, the reasons for these differences are largely unknown," adds Werz.
"In a series of analyses we have shown that cells from men and women react in a different manner to inflammatory stimuli," says Carlo Pergola from the Institute of Pharmacy, Jena University.
The male sex hormones, or testoterones, play a key role in the modulation of the immune response, the researchers said in the FASEB Journal.
In the analyses, certain immune cells of women produced nearly twice as many pro-inflammatory substances than those of men, according to a Jena statement.
IANS