Klos Bea, Kaul Alina, Straube Emily, Steinhauser Verena, Gödel Celina, Schäfer Franziska, Lambert Claude, Enck Paul, Mack Isabelle
Internal Medicine VI, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Cytometry Unit, Immunology Laboratory, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, Saint-Étienne, Lyon, France.
Front Immunol. 2025 Mar 25;16:1532103. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1532103. eCollection 2025.
The immune system is a crucial part of the body's defense against infection and disease. However, individuals in antigen-limited environments face unique challenges that can weaken their immune systems. This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of an exposure to an isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) environment with limited antigen diversity on human immune parameters.
A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies on immune system parameters in ICE environments. The studies were grouped by ICE type (space missions, microgravity simulations like bed rest studies, space simulation units like MARS500, and Antarctic research stations) to allow for clearer comparison and analysis of immune outcomes.
Analysis of 140 studies revealed considerable heterogeneity in study designs and outcomes, reflecting the complexity of immune responses across ICE environments. Nevertheless, immune dysregulation was consistently observed across environments. Space missions and Antarctic stations, in particular, showed pronounced immune changes, likely due to low antigen diversity and extreme conditions, with higher rates of infections and allergic responses suggesting increased vulnerability. Space simulation units exhibited immune changes similar to those in actual space missions, while gravity simulation studies, which focus on fluid shifts and bone loss, showed fewer immune alterations. Across environments, most immunological measures returned to baseline after isolation, indicating resilience and the potential for recovery upon re-exposure to diverse antigens.
Reduced antigen diversity in ICE environments disrupts immune function, with effects often compounded by extreme conditions. Although immune resilience and recovery post-isolation are promising, the heterogeneity in current studies highlights the need for targeted research to identify specific immune vulnerabilities and to develop countermeasures. Such measures could reduce immune-related health risks for individuals in isolated settings, including astronauts, polar researchers, and vulnerable populations on Earth, such as the elderly or immunocompromised, thereby enhancing resilience in confined environments.
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023476132.
免疫系统是人体抵御感染和疾病的关键部分。然而，处于抗原有限环境中的个体面临着可能削弱其免疫系统的独特挑战。本系统评价旨在研究暴露于抗原多样性有限的孤立、封闭和极端（ICE）环境对人体免疫参数的影响。
利用PubMed、科学网和考克兰图书馆进行系统的文献检索，以确定关于ICE环境中免疫系统参数的相关研究。这些研究按ICE类型（太空任务、如卧床休息研究的微重力模拟、如MARS500的太空模拟单元以及南极研究站）进行分组，以便更清晰地比较和分析免疫结果。
对140项研究的分析显示，研究设计和结果存在相当大的异质性，反映了ICE环境中免疫反应的复杂性。尽管如此，在各个环境中均持续观察到免疫失调。特别是太空任务和南极科考站，显示出明显的免疫变化，可能是由于抗原多样性低和极端条件所致，感染和过敏反应发生率较高表明易感性增加。太空模拟单元表现出与实际太空任务类似的免疫变化，而专注于体液转移和骨质流失的重力模拟研究显示免疫改变较少。在所有环境中，大多数免疫指标在隔离后恢复到基线水平，表明具有恢复能力以及重新接触多种抗原后恢复的潜力。
ICE环境中抗原多样性的降低会破坏免疫功能，极端条件往往会加剧这种影响。尽管隔离后免疫恢复能力和恢复情况令人鼓舞，但当前研究的异质性凸显了开展针对性研究以确定特定免疫易损性并制定应对措施的必要性。此类措施可降低孤立环境中个体（包括宇航员、极地研究人员以及地球上的弱势群体，如老年人或免疫功能低下者）的免疫相关健康风险，从而增强封闭环境中的恢复能力。
