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Associations Between Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Social Network Structure
O Kornienko1,2, D R Schaefer3, S D Pressman4
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, David King Hall, Room 2042, 4400 University Drive, 3F5, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA. okornien@gmu.edu.
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
|August 23, 2018
Summary
Higher salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels, a measure of mucosal immunity, correlate with greater social network activity and sociability in community members. This suggests a link between social connections and immune function.
Area of Science:
- Social immunology
- Network science
- Behavioral immunology
Background:
- Social networks are increasingly recognized for their biological underpinnings, influencing health outcomes.
- Previous research has focused on individual-level social effects, with network-scale investigations remaining limited.
- Mucosal immunity, particularly salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), is a key physiological marker potentially influenced by social factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and social network structure.
- To explore social determinants of health at the network level using bioscience and network modeling.
- To determine if mucosal immunity is patterned by social connections within a network.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from a large mixed-gender social organization (n=155).
- Friendship network data and saliva samples were obtained.
- Salivary SIgA levels were assayed and analyzed using exponential random graph modeling.
Main Results:
- Salivary SIgA levels were positively associated with reporting more friendship ties (social network activity).
- This association remained significant after controlling for demographic factors, personality traits (extraversion), and network popularity.
- Network structural and organizational processes were also accounted for in the analysis.
Conclusions:
- SIgA is positively associated with an individual's sociability and engagement within their social network.
- Findings support social integration theories linking social relationships to health.
- Humoral immunity, specifically SIgA, may act as a mediator in the relationship between social integration and health.
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