Observational studyFrontiers in immunology2026
Impact of testosterone-based gender-affirming hormone therapy on toll-like receptor transcript levels and peripheral blood leukocyte counts in transmasculine individuals.
Observational study in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The mediating effects of plasma proteome on the association between selenium and systemic lupus erythematosus.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Pooled it
- Association between sex hormones and innate cytotoxic capacity of circulating and rectal mucosal immune cells.Clinical immunology communications · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Sex differences in immune responses are partly attributed to sex hormones, with testosterone generally associated with dampened immune responses. However, the specific impact of testosterone on the innate immune system in humans remains unclear. We examined changes in toll-like receptor (TLR) transcript levels and peripheral blood leukocyte parameters during masculinizing hormone therapy in transmasculine individuals. Methods: We conducted a 6-month prospective observational study in 20 transmasculine individuals initiating testosterone-based gender-affirming hormone therapy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Gene transcript levels of TLR1-8, TLR10, MD2, and CD14 were quantified by RT-qPCR. Serum hormones and hematologic parameters were measured by standard assays. Results: After 6 months of testosterone therapy, serum testosterone levels rose to values comparable to the range in cisgender men. Lymphocyte and monocyte counts increased ( Conclusions: In this cohort, testosterone-based gender-affirming hormone therapy is associated with the upregulation of TLR8 and TLR10 transcripts, suggesting that sex hormone shifts (increased testosterone and decreased estradiol) may modulate certain innate immune receptors at the transcript level. These findings provide insights into how gender-affirming hormone therapy can influence the innate immune system in transmasculine individuals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.