The immune system in menopause: Pros and cons of hormone therapy

• A general failing of the immune system that is gender-specific occurs with aging.
• Immune responses in female reproductive tract are impaired in postmenopausal women.
• Aging women often undergo hormonal therapy relieve menopausal symptoms.
• Some immune parameters are revived upon MHT usage.
• Further studies are required to determine effects of MHT on FRT immune system.

With aging, a general decline in immune function is observed leading to immune-senescence. Several of these changes are gender specific affecting postmenopausal women. Menopause is a normal part of a woman's lifecycle and consists of a series of body changes that can last from one to ten years. It is known that loss of sex hormones due to aging results in a reduction of immune functions. However, there remains a major gap in our understanding regarding the loss of immune functions particularly in the female reproductive tract (FRT) following menopause and the role of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in protecting against immune senescence. The current review presents an overview of changes in the immune system due to aging, focusing on genital tract immunity in menopausal women and the risks and benefits of using MHT.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Menopause’.