Divergent immune profiles in distinct populations - A vietnamese-german comparison

Abstract

The human immune system exhibits fascinating diversity, sculpted by an intricate interplay of genetic and environmental influences. This study delves into these complexities by comparing the immunological landscapes of healthy individuals from distinct backgrounds: 40 Vietnamese and 24 German participants. Our comprehensive analysis, encompassing 42 lymphocyte populations and 17 cytokines, reveals profound differences in immune profiles between these two populations. Utilizing multicolor flow cytometry and advanced analytical platforms, we conducted a comprehensive characterization of the cellular and molecular components of individual immune systems. Statistical analyses revealed highly significant differences (p < 0.05) between Vietnamese and German cohorts in 33 out of 42 lymphocyte populations and 15 out of 17 cytokines. These disparities encompassed a wide range of immune cell subsets, including T, B and NK cells and involved both activating and inhibitory immune regulators. Healthy Vietnamese subjects exhibited significantly higher numbers of B, T and NK cells compared to their German counterparts. Vietnamese participants displayed higher proportions of plasma cells, immature B cells, and B cells with low CD21 expression (CD21low), which have a phenotypic characteristic of chronic stimulation. Of the 16 subpopulations of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subpopulations, 11 were significantly elevated in Vietnamese compared to German subjects. Additionally, Vietnamese participants expressed higher proportions of markers for functional and activating NK receptors, indicating the presence of highly cytotoxic NK cells in this population. Almost all of the 17 cytokines examined were significantly lower in Vietnamese subjects. These results demonstrate statistically significant variations in immunological profiles between healthy individuals from Eastern and Western populations. Our findings suggest that caution should be exercised when applying Western reference health profiles to Eastern subjects in clinical settings. This comprehensive analysis underscores the importance of considering population-specific immune profiles in clinical and research contexts, particularly when evaluating immunological parameters across diverse ethnic groups.