Pregnancy and immune stimulation: re ‐imagining the fetus as parasite to understand age‐related immune system changes in US women

ConclusionsThis research supports the hypothesis that maternal immune systems respond to prior pregnancies as they do to macro‐parasitic exposures, and may modify the expected linear declines of IgE levels in women that accompanies aging. These finding have implications for understanding the evolution of internal gestation in mammals.

Source: American Journal of Human Biology - July 16, 2017 Category: Biology Authors: Anna C. Rivara, Elizabeth M. Miller Tags: SHORT REPORT Source Type: research