Climate Change-Mediated Temperature Extremes: Effects on the Immune System and Associations with Immune-Related Diseases
Abstract
Climate change exacerbates extreme temperature events, which pose a growing global threat to human health, especially disturbing the immune system and increasing the incidence of immune-related diseases. This review synthesizes the multifaceted links between extreme temperatures and human immune system. Extreme temperatures could activate the neuroendocrine system, trigger the release of cytokines, regulate heat shock proteins (HSPs) and induce epigenetic modifications. The epithelial barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis are involved in the association between extreme temperature and immune system. These immune perturbations increase the risk of allergic diseases, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases, disproportionately affecting children, elderly, patients with chronic diseases and people living in low-income and geographically vulnerable areas. Noting limitations like insufficient focus on vulnerable groups and static models, this review highlights the urgency of addressing climate-temperature-immunity interactions to guide climate-resilient public health strategies.
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