Nickan Research Institute Immunopathologia Persa 2423-8015 6 2 2020 07 01 The footprint of androgen sensitive serine protease (TMPRSS2) in gender mortality with COVID-19 e27 e27 10.34172/ipp.2020.27 EN Sepideh Zununi Vahed https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0179-4562 Shahram Ghiyasvand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7786-7989 Ramin Tolouian https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2242-9310 Hamid Noshad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3538-7992 Audrey Tolouian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9764-8510 Mohammadali Mohajel Shoja https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9668-5558 Mohammadreza Ardalan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6851-5460 Journal Article 10.34172/ipp.2020.27 2020 05 02 2020 05 13 Male gender is an obvious risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and mortality rate is higher in men than women. Undoubtedly, gender-related behavioral factors, such as higher amounts of smoking, alcohol consumption, and biological differences in immune systems could make males more vulnerable. The role of androgen-responsive elements (AREs) of transmembrane serine proteases type II (TMPRSS2) gene as one of the major players of male dominancy in severe COVID-19 infection has been under appreciated and needs to be clarified.