Antibody responses to bacteriophage φX-174 in human subjects exposed to the Antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 2001-01, Vol.107 (1), p.160-164
• Main Authors: Shearer, William T., Lugg, Desmond J., Rosenblatt, Howard M., Nickolls, Peter M., Sharp, Robert M., Reuben, James M., Ochs, Hans D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Antarctic Regions - epidemiology; Antarctica; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antibody Formation; Antibody production; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Applied physiology; Bacteriophages - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Immunobiology; Life Sciences (General); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Phage ^hx174; Phage X-174; Seasons; Space Flight; Space life sciences; spaceflight models; Transports. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1067/mai.2001.112269

Background: It has been proposed that exposure to long-term spaceflight conditions (stress, isolation, sleep disruption, containment, microbial contamination, and solar radiation) or to ground-based models of spaceflight will alter human immune responses, but specific antibody responses have not been fully evaluated. Objective: We sought to determine whether exposure to the 8-month Antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight would alter human antibody responses. Methods: During the 1999 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, 11 adult study subjects at Casey, Antarctica, and 7 control subjects at Macquarie Island, sub-Antarctica, received primary and secondary immunizations with the T cell–dependent neoantigen bacteriophage φX-174. Periodic plasma samples were analyzed for specific antibody function. Results: All of the subjects from Casey, Antarctica, cleared bacteriophage φX-174 normally by 1 week after primary immunization, and all had normal primary and secondary antibody responses, including immunologic memory amplification and switch from IgM to IgG antibody production. One subject showed a high normal pattern, and one subject had a low normal pattern. The control subjects from Macquarie Island also had normal immune responses to bacteriophage φX-174. Conclusions: These data do not support the hypothesis that de novo specific antibody responses of subjects become defective during the conditions of the Antarctic winter-over. Because the Antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight lacks the important factors of microgravity and solar radiation, caution must be used in interpreting these data to anticipate normal antibody responses in long-term spaceflight. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;107:160-4.)