IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v6y2015i1d10.1038_ncomms8000.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Widespread seasonal gene expression reveals annual differences in human immunity and physiology

Author

Listed:
  • Xaquin Castro Dopico

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Marina Evangelou

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Ricardo C. Ferreira

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Hui Guo

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Marcin L. Pekalski

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Deborah J. Smyth

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Nicholas Cooper

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Oliver S. Burren

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

  • Anthony J. Fulford

    (MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Unit The Gambia & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

  • Branwen J. Hennig

    (MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Unit The Gambia & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

  • Andrew M. Prentice

    (MRC International Nutrition Group at MRC Unit The Gambia & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

  • Anette-G. Ziegler

    (Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Forschergruppe Diabetes, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München)

  • Ezio Bonifacio

    (CRTD—DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Medical Faculty, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstrasse)

  • Chris Wallace

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge
    MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge Biomedical Campus)

  • John A. Todd

    (JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge)

Abstract

Seasonal variations are rarely considered a contributing component to human tissue function or health, although many diseases and physiological process display annual periodicities. Here we find more than 4,000 protein-coding mRNAs in white blood cells and adipose tissue to have seasonal expression profiles, with inverted patterns observed between Europe and Oceania. We also find the cellular composition of blood to vary by season, and these changes, which differ between the United Kingdom and The Gambia, could explain the gene expression periodicity. With regards to tissue function, the immune system has a profound pro-inflammatory transcriptomic profile during European winter, with increased levels of soluble IL-6 receptor and C-reactive protein, risk biomarkers for cardiovascular, psychiatric and autoimmune diseases that have peak incidences in winter. Circannual rhythms thus require further exploration as contributors to various aspects of human physiology and disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Xaquin Castro Dopico & Marina Evangelou & Ricardo C. Ferreira & Hui Guo & Marcin L. Pekalski & Deborah J. Smyth & Nicholas Cooper & Oliver S. Burren & Anthony J. Fulford & Branwen J. Hennig & Andrew M, 2015. "Widespread seasonal gene expression reveals annual differences in human immunity and physiology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8000
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8000
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8000
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms8000?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rodney P. Jones, 2019. "The calendar year fallacy: The danger of reliance on calendar year data in end‐of‐life capacity and financial planning," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 1533-1543, October.
    2. Xiaojie Lv & Xinyu Fang & Tingting Qian & Yuyu Cai & Peng Gao & Haifeng Chen & Qing Wu & Jun Wu & Yinguang Fan & Dongqing Ye, 2023. "Association between Meteorological Factors and Outpatient Visits for Herpes Zoster in Hefei, China: A Time-Series Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-12, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8000. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.