Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory of Translational Research "Stress and Immunity" University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Allergy. 2019 Jan;74(1):64-77. doi: 10.1111/all.13545. Epub 2018 Nov 20.
Antarctica is a challenging environment for humans. It serves as a spaceflight ground analog, reflecting some conditions of long-duration exploration class space missions. The French-Italian Concordia station in interior Antarctica is a high-fidelity analog, located 1000 km from the coast, at an altitude of 3232 m. The aim of this field study was to characterize the extent, dynamics, and key mechanisms of the immune adaptation in humans overwintering at Concordia for 1 year.
This study assessed immune functions in fourteen crewmembers. Quantitative and phenotypic analyses from human blood were performed using onsite flow cytometry together with specific tests on receptor-dependent and receptor-independent functional innate and adaptive immune responses. Transcriptome analyses and quantitative identification of key response genes were assessed.
Dynamic immune activation and a two-step escalation/activation pattern were observed. The early phase was characterized by moderately sensitized global immune responses, while after 3-4 months, immune responses were highly upregulated. The cytokine responses to an ex vivo stimulation were markedly raised above baseline levels. These functional observations were reflected at the gene transcriptional level in particular through the modulation of hypoxia-driven pathways.
This study revealed unique insights into the extent, dynamics, and genetics of immune dysfunctions in humans exposed for 1 year to the Antarctic environment at the Concordia station. The scale of immune function was imbalanced toward a sensitizing of inflammatory pathways.
南极洲对人类来说是一个充满挑战的环境。它是航天飞行地面模拟的理想场所，反映了长时间探索类航天任务的一些条件。位于南极洲内陆的法意 Concordia 站是一个高保真模拟基地，距离海岸 1000 公里，海拔 3232 米。本野外研究的目的是描述 Concordia 越冬 1 年的人类免疫适应的程度、动态和关键机制。
本研究评估了 14 名机组人员的免疫功能。使用现场流式细胞术对人类血液进行定量和表型分析，同时对受体依赖性和受体非依赖性功能先天和适应性免疫反应进行特定测试。评估了转录组分析和关键应答基因的定量鉴定。
观察到动态免疫激活和两步升级/激活模式。早期阶段的特点是全球免疫反应适度敏感化，而 3-4 个月后，免疫反应高度上调。细胞因子对体外刺激的反应明显高于基线水平。这些功能观察在基因转录水平上得到了反映，特别是通过调节缺氧驱动的途径。
本研究揭示了人类在 Concordia 站暴露于南极环境 1 年时免疫功能障碍的程度、动态和遗传学的独特见解。免疫功能的规模失衡，向炎症途径的致敏方向发展。
