Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes

  • Commun Biol. 2021 Nov 18;4(1):1304. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02825-4.
Sergio Garbarino  1 ,  Paola Lanteri  2 ,  Nicola Luigi Bragazzi  3 ,  Nicola Magnavita  4  5 ,  Egeria Scoditti  6
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal/Child Sciences, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy. [email protected].
  • 2. Neurophysiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
  • 3. Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
  • 4. Postgraduate School of Occupational Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.
  • 5. Department of Woman/Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy.
  • 6. National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), 73100, Lecce, Italy.
PMID: 34795404 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02825-4
Abstract

Modern societies are experiencing an increasing trend of reduced sleep duration, with nocturnal sleeping time below the recommended ranges for health. Epidemiological and laboratory studies have demonstrated detrimental effects of sleep deprivation on health. Sleep exerts an immune-supportive function, promoting host defense against Infection and inflammatory insults. Sleep deprivation has been associated with alterations of innate and adaptive immune parameters, leading to a chronic inflammatory state and an increased risk for infectious/inflammatory pathologies, including cardiometabolic, neoplastic, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we review recent advancements on the immune responses to sleep deprivation as evidenced by experimental and epidemiological studies, the pathophysiology, and the role for the sleep deprivation-induced immune changes in increasing the risk for chronic diseases. Gaps in knowledge and methodological pitfalls still remain. Further understanding of the causal relationship between sleep deprivation and immune deregulation would help to identify individuals at risk for disease and to prevent adverse health outcomes.