ARKHANGELSK, July 8. /TASS/. During the Arctic Floating University voyage, scientists will for the first time study immunity of the expedition's participants to see how it may change, Professor Alexandra Elfimova of the Federal Research Center for Integrated Arctic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Urals Branch (Arkhangelsk) told TASS. Scientists will evaluate adaptation to Arctic conditions to develop recommendations on how to get prepared for Arctic sea expeditions.

"During the Arctic Floating University voyage, we will conduct a comprehensive study to determine the functional state of the body. This year's new task is to study immunity parameters in collaboration with the Center's Laboratory of Environmental Immunology. We will analyze immunity parameters in blood, as well as in saliva and urine. By conducting a comparative analysis of the general and local immunity we will give scientific reasons for non-invasive assessment of effective adaptation to Arctic voyage conditions and we will develop recommendations regarding whether effective are plant adaptogens and other preventive measures to increase the adaptive reserve of those, who take part in Arctic marine expeditions, and their successful work," the expert said.

The researchers will study saliva to learn the epithelium sorption, and will determine the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA). Pro-inflammatory cytokines are a group of proteins playing a key role in the body's development of an inflammatory response by activating immune cells. In the blood, scientists will determine the number of white blood cells of different groups and the change in their ratio over time, as well as the level of IgA and pro-inflammatory cytokines. By comparing blood and saliva levels, they may identify common trends, so that in the future, saliva parameters could be used to determine immunity conditions during expeditions. At least since it is complicated to take blood tests and examine them on a ship in the open sea.

"Options of non-invasive diagnosis of immune protection and control of adaptive reactions are important in conditions of Arctic voyages. Thus, it is promising to study and compare indicators of general and local immunity and to identify adaptive markers in saliva that reflect immune protection effectiveness," she added. The level of immune protection, as well as the ratio of general and local immune responses, is important in successful adaptation to living conditions.

Arctic marine expeditions run in difficult climatic conditions, where participants have to be in a confined space on a ship, often in conditions new to them. They need to get adjusted and start working effectively within a short time. Adaptive changes occur in their bodies and allow them to maintain stable working capacity for a certain period of time. "It's interesting to understand what typical reactions we could identify. For example, who feels great from start to finish, who is cheerful, active. Or whose work ability would be great at the beginning to expire by the voyage end. Or who will experience a bigger stress at the beginning, and by the end of the expedition may relax and work actively at the final stage," the professor said.

Researchers will also analyze the level of hormones and catecholamines and their ratio in blood, saliva and urine: adrenaline, norepinephrine, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and cortisol. They will analyze heart rate variability in the expedition participants, who will undergo tests for reaction speed, voluntary attention concentration, anxiety level, as well as psychology testing. This way, specialists will assess the adaptation.

About the Arctic Floating University voyage

The expedition's due dates are from July 9 to August 1. The project's sponsors and partners are: the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, VTB Bank (the general sponsor), the Russian Geographical Society, Norilsk Nickel, the Floating University Coordination Center at MIPT.