Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40995513›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in physiology2025

Effects of hypoxia/hyperoxia exposure on immune function - results from a spacecraft-relevant hypobaric chamber study.

Brian Crucian, Douglass M Diak, Alejandro Garbino, Cody Gutierrez, Sara Bustos-Lopez, Audrie Colorado, Millennia Young, Scott M Smith, Sara R Zwart, Thomas M Oswald and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in physiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Brian CrucianNASA Johnson Space Center, Human Health and Performance Directorate, Houston, TX, United States.
Douglass M DiakAegis Aerospace, Houston, TX, United States.
Alejandro GarbinoGeocontrol Systems, Houston, TX, United States.
Cody GutierrezJES Tech, Houston, TX, United States.
Sara Bustos-LopezJES Tech, Houston, TX, United States.
Audrie ColoradoKBR, Houston, TX, United States.
Millennia YoungNASA Johnson Space Center, Human Health and Performance Directorate, Houston, TX, United States.
Scott M SmithNASA Johnson Space Center, Human Health and Performance Directorate, Houston, TX, United States.
Sara R ZwartAerospace Medicine Division, School of Public and Population Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.
Thomas M OswaldKBR, Houston, TX, United States.
Monica Y Hew-YangKBR, Houston, TX, United States.
Patrick EstepGeocontrol Systems, Houston, TX, United States.
Karina Marshall-GoebelNASA Johnson Space Center, Human Health and Performance Directorate, Houston, TX, United States.
Satish MehtaJES Tech, Houston, TX, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Although the International Space Station provides a normoxic environment, deep space missions are expected to leverage a hypobaric, mildly hypoxic living environment to facilitate frequent extravehicular activities EVAs, aka spacewalks. Although hypoxia may be experienced terrestrially, it will be atypical for human physiology to live in hypobaric/hypoxic conditions yet frequently experience hyperoxic stress due to EVAs. It is well established that hypoxia induces dysregulation of the human immune system, in generally a sensitized/proinflammatory fashion. This is primarily evidenced from studies of individuals living at altitude. Methods: To ascertain the effect of hypoxic/hyperoxic shifts on immunity, a series of 11 days hypobaric chamber studies were conducted at the Johnson Space Center. The living environment consisted of 8.2-9.6psi/28.5%-34% oxygen, and there were several simulated EVAs which were performed under hypobaric/hyperoxic conditions consisting of 4.3psi/85%-95% oxygen. For the current sub-study, biosamples were collected before and after simulated EVAs to ascertain the effects of hypoxia, decompression and hyperoxic stress on immunity. The sub-study consisted of 3 chamber tests, 23 total subjects. Results: Shifts in leukocyte distribution, function, and plasma cytokine concentrations were associated with atmospheric shifts, primarily after the hypobaric/hyperoxic EVA activities. Astronauts already experience immune system dysregulation due to microgravity, stress, and other mission influences. Discussion: These data indicate that, similar to living at high altitude, altered atmosphere exposure in a pressurized vehicle environment may dysregulate human immunity which may be exacerbated by EVAs. The additive effects of hypoxia, in concert with other spaceflight mission variables, on clinical risks for astronauts must be better characterized to enable future exploration class space missions.

Indexed as

extravehicular activityhyperoxiahypoxiaimmunityspaceflight

Identifiers

PMID40995513
PMCPMC12454438

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.