Seasonal cutaneous immune responses in an Antarctic wintering group: no association with testosterone, vitamin D metabolite or anxiety score.

Abstract

Immune function is modulated by a complex set of neuroendocrine factors including sex hormones, vitamin D metabolites and stress. Antarctic expeditioners exhibit reduced cell mediated immunity. Studies have also shown a reduction in testosterone levels in wintering expeditioners and suggested a correlation between levels of anxiety and reduced immune function in brief trip expeditioners. Nineteen male Antarctic expeditioners were followed by 3 monthly assessments of cell mediated immunity, levels of testosterone and vitamin D metabolite and psychological indicators of anxiety. There was a significant reduction in immune function during the study period, consistent with previous Antarctic studies. Levels of testosterone, anxiety and the immunoregulatory metabolite of vitamin D did not alter significantly. In this group the reduction in immune function did not show a correlation with levels of anxiety or the hormones studied.