A relação hormonal na esclerose múltipla fatores protetores e perspectivas terapêuticas

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune pathology of the central nervous system with a clear gender disparity, showing a prevalence of 14.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil and a female predominance of 76.3%. This study aimed to analyze the influence of estrogen on immune mechanisms and clinical disease progression. An integrative literature review was conducted in the PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and Google Scholar databases, selecting 14 scientific articles published mostly between 2013 and 2025. The findings demonstrated that estrogen and progesterone acted as modulators of the inflammatory response, while testosterone played an immunosuppressive and neuroprotective role. It was observed that periods of hormonal elevation, such as pregnancy, promoted a significant reduction in relapse rates, whereas the hormonal decline in menopause was a functional inflection point that accelerated neurodegeneration. It was concluded that sex hormones are protagonists in the pathophysiology of MS, and the advancement in adjuvant hormonal therapies represents a promising perspective for personalized disease management in the Brazilian scenario.