Title:Gender Disparity in Pediatric Diseases
Volume: 13
Issue: 4
Author(s): D. Del Principe, M. Marconi, P. Matarrese, A. Villani and W. Malorni
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Cancer, disease, epigenetics, gender, hormones, immune diseases, infectious diseases, pediatrics
Abstract: Sex/gender differences in terms of incidence, prevalence, age at onset and severity have been
documented for several complex adulthood diseases. However, several pediatric diseases also displayed a
gender disparity. Unfortunately, epidemiologic studies investigating gender disparity in pediatric age show
dissimilar results often depending on the spatial and temporal issues, to considerable regional environmental
variations, to social conditions or to infectious agent virulence. Anyway, studies over time showed that gender
disparity in childhood mortality and morbidity may be narrow in some pathological conditions whereas in other
severe diseases, e.g. sepsis, some cancers and some immune disorders, the disproportion was found as
significant. In this work we briefly review literature data dealing with sex/gender differences in morbidity and
mortality observed during the pediatric age. In particular, communicable and non-communicable diseases,
including cancer, have been considered. The possible mechanisms underlining these differences, e.g.
hormonal and epigenetic, are also discussed. The analysis of literature available as concerns pediatric age
seems to underline that gender differences start very early in human beings and that hormones as well as
gene expression in XX and XY cells can play a role. A reappraisal of the gender issue in pediatric research
could thus be pivotal: it might contribute to the improvement of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies as well as
to the improvement of the appropriateness of the cures.
