The Cellular Composition of the Human Immune System is Shaped by Age and Cohabitation

Overview

Journal Nat Immunol

Date 2016 Feb 16

PMID 26878114

Citations 155

Authors

Edward J Carr

James Dooley

Josselyn E Garcia-Perez

Vasiliki Lagou

James C Lee

Carine Wouters

Isabelle Meyts

An Goris

Guy Boeckxstaens

Michelle A Linterman

Adrian Liston

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Detailed population-level description of the human immune system has recently become achievable. We used a 'systems-level' approach to establish a resource of cellular immune profiles of 670 healthy individuals. We report a high level of interindividual variation, with low longitudinal variation, at the level of cellular subset composition of the immune system. Despite the profound effects of antigen exposure on individual antigen-specific clones, the cellular subset structure proved highly elastic, with transient vaccination-induced changes followed by a return to the individual's unique baseline. Notably, the largest influence on immunological variation identified was cohabitation, with 50% less immunological variation between individuals who share an environment (as parents) than between people in the wider population. These results identify local environmental conditions as a key factor in shaping the human immune system.

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