Stress response plays pivotal roles in physiological process, including reproduction and embryonic development. It's long been acknowledged that stress stimulates the activation of both hormone and immune system resulting in disorders of maternal immune function and infertility. However, the stress types, biological alterations, clinical outcomes, and the potential underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Recent studies suggest that more stress factors and relative mechanisms are identified to be involved in female reproductive immune response stimulation, and they may lead to immune dysregulations that negatively influence maternal health. In this part, we focus on the outcomes or mechanisms of common stress factors which affect female immune response before and during pregnancy.
Keywords: Immune response; Reproductive disorders; Signaling pathways; Stress.