Innate and adaptive immune traits are differentially affected by genetic and environmental factors.
Level III
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28054551.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms13850 and PMC identifier 5227062.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The diversity and activity of leukocytes is controlled by genetic and environmental influences to maintain balanced immune responses. However, the relative contribution of environmental compared with genetic factors that affect variations in immune traits is unknown. Here we analyse 23,394 immune phenotypes in 497 adult female twins. 76% of these traits show a predominantly heritable influence, whereas 24% are mostly influenced by environment. These data highlight the importance of shared childhood environmental influences such as diet, infections or microbes in shaping immune homeostasis for monocytes, B1 cells, γδ T cells and NKT cells, whereas dendritic cells, B2 cells, CD4<sup>+</sup> T and CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells are more influenced by genetics. Although leukocyte subsets are influenced by genetics and environment, adaptive immune traits are more affected by genetics, whereas innate immune traits are more affected by environment.
Medical subject headings
- Adaptation, Physiological
- Environment
- Immunity, Innate