The immune compartment is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis. A weak immune response increases susceptibility to infection, but immune hyperactivation causes tissue damage, and chronic inflammation may lead to cancer development. In the stomach, inflammation damages the gastric glands and drives the development of potentially pre-neoplastic metaplasia. Glucocorticoids are potent anti-inflammatory steroid hormones that are required to suppress gastric inflammation and metaplasia. However, these hormones function differently in males and females.