Inflammatory gene expression during acute high-altitude exposure.

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Immunology
• Altitude Medicine

Background:

• Inflammation and hypoxia response pathways are crucial for high-altitude adaptation.
• Existing research shows increased inflammatory markers at high altitudes, but immune function changes and pathology links are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in the peripheral blood inflammatory profile during the initial 3 days of high-altitude acclimatization.
• To identify specific genes and pathways involved in the inflammatory response to acute hypoxia.

Main Methods:

• Unbiased transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing and NanoString technology.
• Analysis of peripheral blood samples from 15 healthy sea-level residents over 3 days at high altitude.

Main Results:

• Upregulation of inflammation-related genes, notably high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), on day 1 of exposure.
• Enrichment of nuclear factor-κB and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling pathways.
• Association of FASLG and SMAD7 with acute mountain sickness and oxygen saturation.

Conclusions:

• Acute high-altitude exposure induces significant changes in inflammatory signalling pathways.
• The Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway may be sensitized by high-altitude hypoxia.
• Immune regulation alterations may contribute to high-altitude pathologies and hypoxemia-related conditions.