Immune-related pathway enrichment is not unexpected: a previous study showed population differences in macrophages associated with the innate immune response to infection18. Furthermore, genetic variation is well documented as an important contributor to immune variation45–47 and immune cell function33–35. This research is particularly relevant for neuropsychiatric disorders (including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and AD) where the immune system has been implicated48–50. Many of these neuropsychiatric disorders also show a racial health disparity42,51–53. Our detailed investigation of immune function found little evidence that the MHC region, HLA variation or glial cell composition drove immune response pathway enrichment. Additionally, we found stronger enrichment of brain immune compared with peripheral immune cell types, suggesting a potential involvement of brain-specific immune responses in these DEGs. Altogether, our findings lay the groundwork for further investigation of therapeutic interventions involving the immune response—therapeutic interventions that could address these health disparities.
