Sexual Inequality in Tuberculosis

Abstract

Olivier Neyrolles and Lluis Quintana-Murci review the evidence on why tuberulosis notification is twice as high in men as in women in most countries.

Molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases in São Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal): A hospital-based descriptive study

“…Men seem to be more affected by tuberculosis than women, with a male/female ratio of 1.9 ± 0.6 for the worldwide case notification rate [13]. Here, gender distribution showed a higher proportion of males (61.5%) affected by MTB.…”

Abdomen agudo ocasionado por apendicitis aguda de probable origen tuberculoso. Informe de un caso

“…La TB afecta principalmente las vías aéreas inferiores y con menor frecuencia los sistemas nervioso central, linfático, óseo y articular y la piel (4,10). Se transmite por contacto directo y se disemina por vía linfohematógena, por lo que el bacilo puede llegar a cualquier sitio del cuerpo incluyendo el tubo digestivo y el apéndice cecal.…”

Two decades of tuberculosis in a city in Northeastern Brazil: advances and challenges in time and space

“…Biological factors should also be considered, since there are generally significant sexual differences between respiratory tract infection (RTI) development and outcomes (29) . Males appear to suffer from most commonly forms of RTI, and also they usually experience a more severe disease course with higher mortality rates (29) (30) .…”

“…Biological factors should also be considered, since there are generally significant sexual differences between respiratory tract infection (RTI) development and outcomes (29) . Males appear to suffer from most commonly forms of RTI, and also they usually experience a more severe disease course with higher mortality rates (29) (30) . Being aware that only 5% to 10% of individuals who are exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop TB and that up to 70% of people who develop the disease are male (29) , researchers should be encouraged to investigate in greater depth the manner in which genetic variations and steroid hormones, for example, differentially influence disease susceptibility between the sexes.…”