Women overreacting is an old and tired stereotype — but there’s some truth to it, at least immunologically speaking.
In a new study, researchers found that women’s immune systems responded more strongly than men’s to flu vaccine. Old and young women alike produced both more antibodies and a higher inflammatory cytokine count — one sign of potential immunological overreaction — than male participants.
While the gender gap in immune reactions has long been known, the mechanism behind it has remained a mystery. But in this study, the scientists identified a handful of genes, apparently regulated by testosterone, that they think are a key part of the response mechanism. The higher the testosterone levels of a participant, the lower the immunological reaction to vaccination.
Generally speaking, women have stronger immune system responses than men. The good news for women is that this “show no mercy” response means they are less prone ...
