Social Status Alters Immune Regulation and Response to Infection
Social status is one of the strongest predictors of disease risk and mortality in humans, and may influence Darwinian fitness in social mammals more generally. To understand the biological basis of these effects, we combined genomics with a social status manipulation in female rhesus macaques to investigate how status alters immune function. We demonstrate causal, but largely plastic, effects of social status on immune cell proportions, cell type-specific gene expression levels, and the gene expression response to infection. Further, we identify specific transcription factor signaling pathways with , low status-associated polarization of the TLR4 signaling pathway towards pro-inflammatory responses. Our findings provide insight into the direct biological effects of social inequality on immune function, thus contributing to an improved understanding of social gradients in health and the evolution of social hierarchies.