A systematic review and meta-analysis led by Mayo Clinic researchers of sex-based differences in perioperative hypersensitivity (POH) has been published by the peer-reviewed medical journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
POH, the researchers state, is a rare, immediate hypersensitivity reaction that, in its more severe form as perioperative anaphylaxis, carries a 2% mortality rate. “Sex is a biological variable that can affect the immune response, but its role in POH remains unclear,” the authors write. “We aimed to assess sex-based differences in POH and explore potential differences by age, culprit drugs, and reaction severity.”
Included in the analysis were 62 studies comprising 19,944 patients, 63% of whom were female. The researchers found a “female predominance of POH overall, though males had a higher proportion in pediatric studies, possibly due to chromosomal factors influencing POH rates before adolescence. In adulthood, hormonal changes may contribute to the observed female predominance.”
It concludes that further research is needed to “explore the mechanisms behind the observed differences.”
Access the full study here.
