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Rubika A, Luoto S, Krama T, Trakimas G, Rantala MJ, Moore FR, Skrinda I, Elferts D, Krams R, Contreras-Garduño J, Krams IA. Women's socioeconomic position in ontogeny is associated with improved immune function and lower stress, but not with height. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11517. [PMID: 32661326 PMCID: PMC7359344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68217-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune function, height and resource accumulation comprise important life history traits in humans. Resource availability models arising from life history theory suggest that socioeconomic conditions influence immune function, growth and health status. In this study, we tested whether there are associations between family income during ontogeny, adult height, cortisol level and immune response in women. A hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 66 young Latvian women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and blood samples were then collected to measure the level of antibodies that the women produced in response to the vaccination. Cortisol levels were measured from plasma samples pre- and post-vaccination. Women from wealthier families had lower cortisol levels, and women from the highest family income group had the highest levels of antibody titers against hepatitis B vaccine. No significant relationships were observed between cortisol level and immune function, nor between family income and height. The results show that income level during ontogeny is associated with the strength of immune response and with psychoneuroendocrine pathways underlying stress perception in early adulthood. The findings indicate that the quality of the developmental niche is associated with the condition-dependent expression of immune function and stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rubika
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
- Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Fhionna R Moore
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ilona Skrinda
- Daugavpils Regional Hospital, Daugavpils, 5417, Latvia
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia.
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia.
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Rīga, 1067, Latvia.
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