Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Research Department, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Am J Hum Biol. 2022 Nov;34(11):e23784. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23784. Epub 2022 Jul 21.
Immune function is multifaceted and characterizations based on single biomarkers may be uninformative or misleading, particularly when considered across ecological contexts. However, measuring the many facets of immunity in the field can be challenging, since many measures cannot be obtained on-site, necessitating sample preservation and transport. Here we assess state-of-the-art methods for measuring immunity, focusing on measures that require a minimal blood sample obtained from a finger prick, which can be: (1) dried on filter paper, (2) frozen in liquid nitrogen, or (3) stabilized with chemical reagents.
We review immune measures that can be obtained from point-of-care devices or from immunoassays of dried blood spots (DBSs), field methods for flow cytometry, the use of RNA or DNA sequencing and quantification, and the application of immune activation assays under field conditions.
Stable protein products, such as immunoglobulins and C-reactive protein are reliably measured in DBSs. Because less stable proteins, such as cytokines, may be problematic to measure even in fresh blood, mRNA from stabilized blood may provide a cleaner measure of cytokine and broader immune-related gene expression. Gene methylation assays or mRNA sequencing also allow for the quantification of many other parameters, including the inference of leukocyte subsets, though with less accuracy than with flow cytometry. Combining these techniques provides an improvement over single-marker studies, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of how social and ecological variables are linked to immune measures and disease risk in diverse populations and settings.
免疫功能是多方面的，基于单一生物标志物的特征可能没有信息量或具有误导性，特别是在考虑生态背景时。然而，在野外测量免疫的许多方面可能具有挑战性，因为许多测量方法不能在现场获得，这需要样本保存和运输。在这里，我们评估了测量免疫的最新方法，重点关注那些需要从手指刺取最小量血液的测量方法，这些方法可以：（1）在滤纸上干燥，（2）在液氮中冷冻，或（3）用化学试剂稳定。
我们回顾了可以从即时检测设备或干血斑（DBS）免疫测定中获得的免疫测量方法、用于现场流式细胞术的方法、RNA 或 DNA 测序和定量的应用，以及在野外条件下免疫激活测定的应用。
稳定的蛋白质产物，如免疫球蛋白和 C 反应蛋白，在 DBS 中可靠地测量。由于即使在新鲜血液中，不太稳定的蛋白质（如细胞因子）的测量也可能存在问题，因此稳定化血液中的 mRNA 可能提供细胞因子和更广泛的免疫相关基因表达的更清洁测量。基因甲基化测定或 mRNA 测序也允许对许多其他参数进行定量，包括白细胞亚群的推断，尽管不如流式细胞术准确。将这些技术结合起来，可以提高单标志物研究的准确性，使我们能够更细致地了解社会和生态变量如何与不同人群和环境中的免疫测量和疾病风险相关联。
