Women tend
to react with stronger responses to immune challenges while pregnant with girls
than with boys, a new study published
in the journalBrain, Behavior and Immunity has found.
The study
by Mitchell et al shows baby’s sex is associated with pregnant
women’s immune responses.
A team of
scientists at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center followed 80
pregnant women (46 with male and 34 with female fetuses) across the course of
their pregnancy and examined whether women exhibited different levels of immune
markers called cytokines based
on fetal sex.
Analyses
were conducted on levels of cytokines in the blood and levels produced by a
sample of immune cells that were exposed to bacteria in the lab.
“While
women didn’t exhibit differences in blood cytokine levels based on fetal sex,
we did find that the immune cells of women carrying female fetuses produced
more pro-inflammatory cytokines when exposed to bacteria,” explained lead
author Dr. Amanda Mitchell, a researcher in the Institute for Behavioral Medicine
Research at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
“This
means that women carrying female fetuses exhibited a heightened inflammatory
response when their immune system was challenged, compared to women carrying
male fetuses.”
Inflammation
is a critical part of the immune response involved in wound healing and
responses to viruses, bacteria and chronic illnesses.
However,
excessive inflammation is stressful to the body and can contribute to
sickness-related symptoms, such as achiness and fatigue.
While more
research is needed, the heightened inflammation observed among women carrying
female fetuses could play a role in why women tend to experience exacerbated
symptoms of some medical conditions, including asthma, when carrying a female
versus a male fetus.
“This
research helps women and their obstetricians recognize that fetal sex is one
factor that may impact how a woman’s body responds to everyday immune
challenges and can lead to further research into how differences in immune
function may affect how a women responds to different viruses, infections or
chronic health conditions (such as asthma), including whether these responses
affect the health of the fetus,” Dr. Mitchell said.
“While
maternal inflammation can affect outcomes related to the fetus, like timing of
birth, more research is necessary to understand how fetal sex is associated
with maternal inflammation.”
“It’s
possible the sex hormones or other hormones in the placenta affect maternal
inflammation levels,” she dais.
“It’s
important to think about supporting healthy immune function, which doesn’t
necessarily mean boosting it — it’s problematic to have too little or too great
of an immune response.”
“That
being said, research has shown that exercise supports healthy immune
functioning, as does eating some foods, like leafy greens, and relaxing with
activities like meditation.”
“Of
course, it’s always important to check with your healthcare provider before
making any changes to your routine or diet,” Dr. Mitchell said.
_____
Amanda M.
Mitchell et al. 2017. Fetal sex is associated with maternal
stimulated cytokine production, but not serum cytokine levels, in human
pregnancy. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 60: 32-37; doi:
10.1016/j.bbi.2016.06.015
This
article is based on a press-release from the Ohio State University.
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