Kwon Dayoon, Fessler Daniel M T, Knorr Delaney A, Wiley Kyle S, Sartori Julie, Coall David A, Fox Molly M
Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Evol Med Public Health. 2025 Sep 24;13(1):269-280. doi: 10.1093/emph/eoaf016. eCollection 2025.
During pregnancy, the maternal body undergoes extensive physiological adaptations to support embryonic growth, including whole-body remodeling, that may induce odor and food aversions, as well as nausea and vomiting. The biological mechanisms behind odor and food aversions, as well as nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, remain largely unexplored. Our study investigated associations between these changes and cytokine profiles during pregnancy.
A cohort of pregnant Latina women in Southern California ( = 58) completed a structured questionnaire on pregnancy "morning sickness"-related symptoms and aversions. Maternal plasma cytokine levels were measured between 5 and 17 weeks' gestation.
About 64% of participants experienced odor or food aversions, primarily to tobacco smoke and meat; 67% reported nausea, and 66% experienced vomiting. Multivariable linear regression models revealed that odor aversions were associated with increased pro-inflammatory T-helper-cell type (Th) 1 composite cytokine levels. Women who found tobacco smoke aversive exhibited a shift toward Th1 immune responses, indicated by a higher Th1:Th2 ratio. Food aversions also showed a positive association with Th1 cytokine levels. A borderline positive association was noted between nausea and vomiting and the Th1:Th2 ratio.
These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that gestational changes in olfactory and gustatory experience, and nausea and vomiting, reflect adaptive upregulation of behavioral prophylaxis in ways that could protect the fetus. If this elevated Th1:Th2 ratio and pro-inflammatory phenotype are part of the maternal and embryonic response to embryogenesis, the behavioral and biological markers that we explore may provide an accessible index of fetal development during early pregnancy.
在怀孕期间，母体身体会经历广泛的生理适应以支持胚胎生长，包括全身重塑，这可能会引发嗅觉和食物厌恶，以及恶心和呕吐。妊娠早期嗅觉和食物厌恶以及恶心和呕吐背后的生物学机制在很大程度上仍未得到探索。我们的研究调查了这些变化与孕期细胞因子谱之间的关联。
南加州一组怀孕的拉丁裔女性（n = 58）完成了一份关于妊娠“晨吐”相关症状和厌恶的结构化问卷。在妊娠5至17周期间测量母体血浆细胞因子水平。
约64%的参与者经历了嗅觉或食物厌恶，主要是对烟草烟雾和肉类；67%报告有恶心，66%经历过呕吐。多变量线性回归模型显示，嗅觉厌恶与促炎型辅助性T细胞（Th）1复合细胞因子水平升高有关。对烟草烟雾有厌恶感的女性表现出向Th1免疫反应的转变，表现为Th1:Th2比值升高。食物厌恶也与Th1细胞因子水平呈正相关。恶心、呕吐与Th1:Th2比值之间存在临界正相关。
这些发现与以下假设一致，即嗅觉和味觉体验的妊娠变化以及恶心和呕吐反映了行为预防措施的适应性上调，从而可能保护胎儿。如果这种升高的Th1:Th2比值和促炎表型是母体和胚胎对胚胎发育反应的一部分，那么我们所探索的行为和生物学标志物可能为妊娠早期的胎儿发育提供一个可获取的指标。
