Summary
A pandemic-era Q&A covering immunity science. Topics include SARS-CoV-2 immunity duration, genetic causes of immune variation, cross-immunity from previous viral exposure, antibody-dependent enhancement concerns, how sleep deprivation impairs immunity and vaccine efficacy, microbiome composition and immune function, differential effects of exercise intensity on immune regulation, and how micronutrient inadequacies promote immune dysregulation.
Key Points
- Sleep deprivation impairs both immunity and vaccine efficacy
- Microbiome composition significantly affects immune function
- Exercise intensity and duration have differential effects on immune regulation
- Micronutrient inadequacies promote immune dysregulation
- Previous viral exposures may provide some cross-immunity
- Age and sex affect immune regulation differently
Key Moments
Vaccine Science: Immunity
On the opposite end of the spectrum, individuals infected with HIV often have antibodies that do nothing to fight HIV. Some viruses, like HIV, use multiple strategies to evade antibodies.
"Some viruses, like HIV, use multiple strategies to evade antibodies. So what about other coronaviruses? Antibody titers in individuals that survived SARS-CoV-1 or MERS-CoV infections often waned after two to three years or were weak initially."
Gut Microbiome: Diet
Matthew Walker, who is the director of the Sleep Institute at UC Berkeley. Partial sleep deprivation can affect immunity.
"Matthew Walker, who is the director of the Sleep Institute at UC Berkeley. Partial sleep deprivation can affect immunity."
Vaccine Science: Immunity
This also suggests that the antibodies from these common cold coronaviruses may complicate accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 serological diagnostics, as people reinfected with common cold coronaviruses could score as false positive with some SARS-CoV-2 serological assays.
"This occurs through tryptophan metabolites and short-chain fatty acids generated via the microbiome. Let's move on and discuss exercise. Exercise also affects immune function."
Vitamin D: Blood Level
For example, six trials involving more than 600 marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers reported 50% fewer colds when supplementing with vitamin C.
"Micronutrients, particularly vitamins C and D, support adaptive immunity via lymphocyte differentiation, proliferation, and homing, cytokine production, antibody production, and the generation of memory cells."
Vaccine Science: Immunity
Micronutrients are also involved in producing antimicrobial proteins, in differentiation and motility, in phagocytetic and killing activities of neutrophils and macrophages, and promotion of and recovery from inflammation.
"Vitamin A deficiency can impair the response to vaccination. A study in vitamin A deficient Indonesian children provided with vitamin A showed a higher antibody response to tetanus vaccination than seen in vitamin A deficient children."
Epigenetic Aging: Biological Age
Women have better immune responses to vaccinations than men, possibly due to the fact that estrogen is an enhancer of the humoral immunity, whereas testosterone is a suppressor.
"Women have better immune responses to vaccinations than men, possibly due to the fact that estrogen is an enhancer of the humoral immunity, whereas testosterone is a suppressor."
Vaccine Science: Immunity
Women have better immune responses to vaccinations than men, possibly due to the fact that estrogen is an enhancer of the humoral immunity, whereas testosterone is a suppressor.
"Women have better immune responses to vaccinations than men, possibly due to the fact that estrogen is an enhancer of the humoral immunity, whereas testosterone is a suppressor."
