Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

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.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ncomms8000

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Commun

Publication Date

12/05/2015

Volume

6

Keywords

ARNTL Transcription Factors, Adaptation, Physiological, Adipose Tissue, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Child, Preschool, Europe, Gambia, Gene Expression Regulation, Genes, MHC Class II, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Leukocytes, Middle Aged, Oceania, RNA, Messenger, Seasons, Transcriptome, Young Adult