Blood Cell In Vitro Cytokine Production in Response to Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation in a Healthy Population: Effects of Age, Sex, and Smoking

Immune system functionality has been commonly assessed by a whole-blood or isolated-cell stimulation assay. The aim of this study was to determine whether cytokine production in whole-blood-stimulated samples is influenced by age, sex, and smoking. A descriptive cross-sectional study in 253 healthy participants aged 18–55 years was conducted. Whole blood samples were stimulated for 24 h with LPS and concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α were determined in the culture media. Among parameters considered, statistical regression analysis indicated that smoking (change in R(2) = 0.064, p < 0.001) and sex (change in R(2) = 0.070, p < 0.001) were the main predictors for IL-10 production, with higher values for women and non-smokers. Age was also found to be a significant predictor (change in R(2) = 0.021, p < 0.001), with higher values for younger ages. Age (change in R(2) = 0.089, p = 0.013) and smoking (change in R(2) = 0.037, p = 0.002) were found to be negative predictors for IL-6 production. Regarding TNF-α-stimulated production, age (change in R(2) = 0.029, p = 0.009) and smoking (change in R(2) = 0.022, p = 0.022) were found to be negative predictors. Furthermore, sex (change in R(2) = 0.016, p = 0.045) was found to be a significant predictor, with lower values for women. In conclusion, sex, age, and smoking were found to be independent determinants of stimulated cytokine production. While female sex is associated with higher IL-10 and lower TNF-α production, aging and smoking are associated with lower IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α production.