Lifestyle score is associated with cellular immune profiles in healthy Tanzanian adults

Immune system and vaccine responses vary across geographical locations worldwide, not only between high and low-middle income countries (LMICs), but also between rural and urban populations within the same country. Lifestyle factors such as housing conditions, exposure to microorganisms and parasites and diet are associated with rural-and urban-living. However, the relationships between these lifestyle factors and immune profiles have not been mapped in detail. Here, we profiled the immune system of 100 healthy Tanzanians living across four rural/urban areas using mass cytometry. We developed a lifestyle score based on an individual's household assets, housing condition and recent dietary history and studied the association with cellular immune profiles. Seventeen out of 80 immune cell clusters were associated with living location or lifestyle score, with eight identifiable only using lifestyle score. Individuals with low lifestyle score, most of whom live in rural settings, showed higher frequencies of NK cells, plasmablasts, atypical memory B cells, T helper 2 cells, regulatory T cells and activated CD4⁺ T effector memory cells expressing CD38, HLA-DR and CTLA-4. In contrast, those with high lifestyle score, most of whom live in urban areas, showed a less activated state of the immune system illustrated by higher frequencies of naïve CD8⁺ T cells. Using an elastic net machine learning model, we identified cellular immune signatures most associated with lifestyle score. Assuming a link between these immune profiles and vaccine responses, these signatures may inform us on the cellular mechanisms underlying poor responses to vaccines, but also reduced autoimmunity and allergies in low- and middle-income countries.