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Host and Environmental Factors Influencing Individual Human Cytokine Responses
Rob Ter Horst1, Martin Jaeger1, Sanne P Smeekens1
1Department of Internal Medicine and Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Gelderland 6500HB, the Netherlands.
Cell
|November 5, 2016
Summary
Environmental factors like age, gender, and seasonality significantly impact human immune responses, influencing cytokine production. Alpha-1-antitrypsin levels partially explain seasonal immune variations, while vitamin D
Area of Science:
- Human Functional Genomics
- Immunology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Immune-mediated diseases arise from variations in immune responses.
- Understanding factors influencing human immune variability is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of non-genetic host factors and environmental influences on human cytokine responses.
- To analyze associations between these factors, circulating mediators, and cytokine production.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cytokine production and circulating mediators in 534 healthy subjects.
- Stimulation with 19 diverse microbial and non-microbial agents.
- Assessment of environmental factors (seasonality, age, gender) and host genetics.
Main Results:
- Non-genetic factors such as age and gender strongly influence cytokine production and mediator levels.
- Annual seasonality is a significant environmental factor affecting cytokine responses.
- Alpha-1-antitrypsin partially mediates seasonality; vitamin D's effect is limited.
Conclusions:
- Non-genetic host factors and environmental seasonality are key determinants of human immune response variability.
- Seasonality's influence on immune mediators is partly explained by alpha-1-antitrypsin.
- Publicly available data offers a resource for future immunological research.
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