Overview
The hormonal environment (steroid, primarily) could have a very relevant pathophysiological role in association with SARS-CoV-2. That is, testosterone could play a relevant role in leaving male subjects more exposed to infection and more prone to developing severe complications following COVID-19 infection.
Description
Preliminary data suggests that male individuals are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection, at least in Western countries, and that their mortality rate is higher than female individuals. This would seem to suggest that the hormonal environment (steroid, primarily) could have a very relevant pathophysiological role in association with SARS-CoV-2. That is, testosterone could play a relevant role in leaving male subjects more exposed to infection and more prone to developing severe complications following COVID-19 infection. Another option is that COVID-19 infection could cause a condition of acute hypogonadism, following which, the exhaustion of androgenic action could act as a co-trigger of a severe or even fatal course of the disease.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
Patient Cohort:
- Male patients with an age > 18 hospitalized in the departments dedicated to the care of patients affected by COVID-19 at the San Raffaele Hospital and with:
- biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2;
- negative test but highly suggestive clinical and radiological picture;
- patients discharged from the emergency room with biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2;
- ability to read and sign the informed consent
Control Cohort:
- healthy donors with an age> 18 accessing the IRCCS OSR Blood Donor Center;
- ability to read and sign the informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- People with an age < 18;
- incapacity to read and sign the informed consent