Seasonal variation in peripheral blood leukocyte subsets and in serum interleukin-6, and soluble interleukin-2 and -6 receptor concentrations in normal volunteers.

This study has been carried out in order to investigate seasonal variation in peripheral blood immune cells, such as leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, CD3+ T, CD4+ T, CD8+ T, CD25+ T, CD20+ B, and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and sIL-2R levels in normal volunteers. Toward this end, 26 normal volunteers (13 men, 13 women) had monthly blood samplings during one calendar year for peripheral blood count, flow cytometric enumeration of peripheral leukocyte subsets and immunoassays of IL-6, sIL-6R and sIL-2R. It was found that most of the immune variables change rhythmically during the seasons as a group phenomenon. Statistically significant yearly variations with seasonal rhythms, i.e. annual rhythms or harmonics, such as semiannual, tetramensual and trimensual rhythms, were found in the number of leukocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, CD4+ T, CD8+ T, CD25+ T, CD20+ B cells, in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and serum IL-6 and sIL-6R levels. It is concluded that the immune system is characterized by a multifrequency time-structure with significant high-amplitude yearly variations in the number of some peripheral blood leukocyte subsets.