title: Influences of large sets of environmental exposures on immune responses in healthy adult men.
abstract: Environmental factors have long been known to influence immune responses. In particular, clinical studies about the association between migration and increased risk of atopy/asthma have provided important information on the role of migration associated large sets of environmental exposures in the development of allergic diseases. However, investigations about environmental effects on immune responses are mostly limited in candidate environmental exposures, such as air pollution. The influences of large sets of environmental exposures on immune responses are still largely unknown. A simulated 520-d Mars mission provided an opportunity to investigate this topic. Six healthy males lived in a closed habitat simulating a spacecraft for 520 days. When they exited their "spacecraft" after the mission, the scenario was similar to that of migration, involving exposure to a new set of environmental pollutants and allergens. We measured multiple immune parameters with blood samples at chosen time points after the mission. At the early adaptation stage, highly enhanced cytokine responses were observed upon ex vivo antigen stimulations. For cell population frequencies, we found the subjects displayed increased neutrophils. These results may presumably represent the immune changes occurred in healthy humans when migrating, indicating that large sets of environmental exposures may trigger aberrant immune activity.
authors: Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Department of Anesthesiology, Stress and Immunology Lab, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors: Buqing
authors: B
authors: Yi
authors: Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), 123007 Moscow, Russia.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Rykova
authors: Max von Pettenkofer-Institut, University of Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
authors: Gundula
authors: G
authors: Jäger
authors: Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Department of Anesthesiology, Stress and Immunology Lab, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Feuerecker
authors: Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Department of Anesthesiology, Stress and Immunology Lab, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Hörl
authors: Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Department of Anesthesiology, Stress and Immunology Lab, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Matzel
authors: Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), 123007 Moscow, Russia.
authors: Sergey
authors: S
authors: Ponomarev
authors: Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), 123007 Moscow, Russia.
authors: Galina
authors: G
authors: Vassilieva
authors: Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), 123007 Moscow, Russia.
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Nichiporuk
authors: Hospital of the University of Munich (LMU), Department of Anesthesiology, Stress and Immunology Lab, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Choukèr
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000633:toxicity*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000633:toxicity*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D018531:Spacecraft
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D016207:Cytokines