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Antarctic Harsh Environment as Natural Stress Model: Impact on Salivary Immunoglobulins, Transforming Growth Factor-β and Cortisol Level

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Abstract

The Antarctic continent on the planet Earth is full of environmental extremes. It is considered as natural stress model. Therefore, the present study examined the effect of harsh environment on the certain salivary markers of 28th Indian Antarctic expeditioners. Thirty healthy men and women (median age 36 year; range 22–61 year) participated in this study. Parameters measured were salivary IgA (SIgA), IgM (SIgM), TGF-β and cortisol level at three different time points: (I) before leaving India on 26th October 2008 for base line level; (II) after 1 month on-board journey on 31st January 2009 in Southern Ocean and (III) after 1 month staying at Maitri, Antarctica on 3rd March 2009. Our observation indicated that Ship borne journey and Antarctic environment increased the SIgA levels while that of SIgM level was not altered on-board but decreased by staying for 1 month at Antarctica. No significant alteration was found in the TGF-β and cortisol level at any point of time. The present study concluded that ship borne journey and Antarctic environment may induce the SIgA level while SIgM level decreased in environmental extremes of Antarctica.

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Acknowledgments

The study is supported by a research Grant of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India. APY Thanks DRDO for financial support in the form of junior research fellowship. Authors thank all the expedition members who voluntarily participated in the study. National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) is acknowledged for all the logistic support. KPM was summer team member and APY was winter team member of 28th Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica.

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Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunomodulation Laboratory, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India

    K. P. Mishra, A. P. Yadav & Lilly Ganju

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  1. K. P. Mishra
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  2. A. P. Yadav
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  3. Lilly Ganju
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Correspondence to K. P. Mishra.

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Mishra, K.P., Yadav, A.P. & Ganju, L. Antarctic Harsh Environment as Natural Stress Model: Impact on Salivary Immunoglobulins, Transforming Growth Factor-β and Cortisol Level. Ind J Clin Biochem 27, 357–362 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-012-0213-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-012-0213-z

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