Immune function during pregnancy varies between ecologically distinct populations.
Carmen HovéBenjamin C TrumbleAmy S AndersonJonathan StieglitzHillard KaplanMichael D GurvenAaron D BlackwellPublished in: Evolution, medicine, and public health (2020)
This study compares immunological changes associated with pregnancy between the Tsimane (an Amazonian subsistence population) and individuals in the USA. Results suggest that while pregnancy enhances non-specific defenses and dampens both antigen-specific immunity and parasite/allergy response, ecological conditions strongly influence immune baselines and the magnitude of shifts during gestation.