Age- and Sex-Dependent Variation in the Type I Interferon Signature of Healthy Individuals.

ABSTRACT: Background and Objectives: Type I interferon (IFN-I) transcriptional signatures are widely utilised as readouts of innate immunity. We evaluated whether age and sex affect single interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and the composite IFN-I score, with implications for control selection and assay calibration. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five healthy individuals (53 males, 42 females; 18 days to 89 years) were studied. Whole-blood expressions of IFI27, IFI44L, IFIT1, ISG15, RSAD2 and SIGLEC1 was quantified by RT-qPCR, normalised to GAPDH and calibrated to a paediatric reference. Age associations used Spearman's rho; sex differences, two-sided Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: Age effects were modest and gene-specific: IFI44L declined and IFI27 increased with age (significan

SUBMITTER: Galliano I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12735248 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature