title: Suppression of human anti-inflammatory plasma cytokines IL-10 and IL-1RA with elevation of proinflammatory cytokine IFN-gamma during the isolation of the Antarctic winter.
abstract: Cellular immune function has been shown to be decreased and latent virus shedding to be increased in human beings isolated during the Antarctic winter, a model used for assessing some effects of space flight. However, the balance of proinflammatory (IFN-gamma) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and IL-1RA) cytokines has not previously been evaluated. We therefore sought to determine whether isolation during the Antarctic winter would alter the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance. Cytokine levels were measured with ELISA in monthly plasma samples from January through September 1999 in 21 study subjects in the Antarctic and 7 control subjects on Macquarie Island. There was a significant time-dependent increase in plasma IFN-gamma (P =.039) as well as decreases in IL-10 (P =.042) and IL-1RA (P =.053) in the study subjects compared with the control subjects. The study subjects also had significantly increased plasma IFN-gamma levels (P < or =.045) but decreased IL-10 and IL-1RA levels (P < or =.036) at individual time points of isolation. Isolation of human beings in the Antarctic appears to shift the plasma cytokine balance toward a proinflammatory profile. These observations are consistent with T-cell activation that might be due to activation of latent viruses, and they could hold importance for determining the risks of space flight.
authors: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
authors: William T
authors: WT
authors: Shearer
authors: Bang-Ning
authors: BN
authors: Lee
authors: Stanley G
authors: SG
authors: Cron
authors: Howard M
authors: HM
authors: Rosenblatt
authors: E O'Brian
authors: EO
authors: Smith
authors: Desmond J
authors: DJ
authors: Lugg
authors: Peter M
authors: PM
authors: Nickolls
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Sharp
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Rollings
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Reuben
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012621:Seasons; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma