Testosterone exerts selective anti‐inflammatory effects on human skin mast cells in a cell subset dependent manner
Open accessAbstract
Androgens are known to exert anti‐inflammatory effects but their impact on mast cells (MC s) remains to be determined. Here, we show that MC s isolated from human foreskin samples (male) and those from breast skin (female) express the androgen receptor, albeit with a 10‐fold difference between the subsets. While fundamental MC properties (Fcε RI, c‐Kit, tryptase; histamine release upon Fcε RI cross‐linking) were unaffected or slightly reduced (chymase) by testosterone, the hormone had a more profound impact on the production of cytokines, with IL‐6 being a target (reduction by 53%). Interestingly, this effect was limited to breast skin MC s (15 of 16 donors displayed this phenomenon), but was not reproduced by foreskin MC s. Collectively, effector functions of human skin MC s are modulated by androgens in a gene‐selective and MC subset‐specific fashion. Possibly, MC s from women are more susceptible to testosterone. We also demonstrate that MC IL‐6 production is highly variable among individuals.
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Androgens modulate mast cell effector functions in a subset-specific fashion, with mast cells from women more susceptible to testosterone effects.
“androgens modulate MCs effectors functions in a subset-specific fashion, being MCs from women more susceptible to testosterone effects [24]”
From Gender-Related Effects of Sex Steroids on Histamine Release and Fc<i>ε</i>RI Expression in Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells (2015) · cites this paper as [24]
The Conclusions report subset-specific effects on mast-cell effector functions: testosterone reduced IL-6 in breast-skin mast cells but not foreskin mast cells. They say only that mast cells from women are *possibly* more susceptible, noting that age and skin location may also contribute. The citing sentence presents that possibility as established. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMast cells isolated from human foreskin samples (male) express higher levels of androgen receptors than those from breast skin (female).
“Particularly, MCs isolated from human foreskin samples (male) have clearly higher levels than those from breast skin (female)”
From Gender-Related Effects of Sex Steroids on Histamine Release and Fc<i>ε</i>RI Expression in Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells (2015) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Guhl, S., Artuc, M., Zuberbier, T., & Babina, M.
- Affiliations
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Babina, Magda
- Venue
- Experimental Dermatology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-10-15
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 878-880
- ISSN
- 0906-6705 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0625
- OpenAlex
- W1997030578
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Experimental Dermatology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Mast cells and histamine
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Keywords
- testosterone, androgens, mast cells, anti-inflammatory activity, androgen receptor, IL-6 production, cytokine production, histamine release, FcεRI, breast skin, prepuce, sex differences, chymase, tryptase
- MeSH terms
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Breast, Cells, Cultured, Female, Humans, Male, Mast Cells, Skin, Testosterone, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Interleukin-6, Interleukin-8, Foreskin, Chymases
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