What is the interrelationship between the immune and reproductive system?

Question

What is the interrelationship between the immune and reproductive system?

Answer 1

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Briefly, the immune system scours the organism for what appear to be foreign invaders. When it goes haywire, we now have an autoimmune disease -- rheumatoid arthritis, MS, poly myalgia rheumatic,and of course many others. Interestingly, as sperm develop, the immune system does not attack the sperm, though they are in essence a different type of organism within the body.S[perm cells are guarded by what is commonly called a "nurse" cell. As well it is interesting that the body does not attach a growing fetus -- usually -- (When it does, it is generally an rH problem). In essence there is no "interrelationship". The immune system is tolerent, at times to what appears a foreign living thing,(sperm) and intolerant at times to the body in which it is housed.(rheumatoid arthritis in which the immune system attacks its own cartlidge.) { Heart transplants, and other organ transplants can only succeed if the immune system is weakened. Transplants would be immediately attacked otherwise. And interestingly, weakened immume systems in the end, open us all up to cancer. We all have cancereous cells in us at all times -- normal cells that have become malignant. The immune system recongnizes them and eliminates them. Those with weakened immune systems are more prone to cancer.} Maybe more information that you wanted to know....?

Answer 2

One major relationship would be that the immune system must be health in order for health offspring to be produced. A mother with a bad immune system could harbor diseased that could negatively affect her offspring.

Answer 3

labor and delivery appear to at least partially involve the inflammatory response mechanisms.

Answer 4

To swan's post, I wish to add that cells from each foetus circulate in the mother's body for many years later. A few years ago, New Scientist had an article about that, suggesting that this may be part of the reason why some auto- immune disorders are more common among women. That is, their immune systems are affected, long after they delivered the baby.

During pregnancy, they must tolerate the presence of the baby's cells (in the uterus). How do they tolerate the cells that reach their circulation?