A study published Oct. 19 in Science Translational Medicine found male placentas showed increased immune activation compared with female placentas in pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19.
The study included 68 pregnant women, 38 of whom became infected with COVID-19 during their third trimester prior to the development of the vaccine. The remaining 30 subjects were healthy pregnant women who tested negative for COVID-19. Half the fetuses were male and half were female in both groups.
Key takeaways:
- The placentas of male fetuses carried by women with COVID-19 had much higher expression of interferon-stimulated genes.
- Mothers with COVID-19 carrying male fetuses make lower levels of antibodies against the virus than those carrying female fetuses.