Exploration of immune phenotypes in self-sampling citizens
iScience, 2026
Dahl L., Bendes A., Álvez M., Albrecht V., Aghelpasand H., Björkander S., Merid S., Mezger A., Käller M., Fredolini C., Naluai ?., Beck O., Melén E., Bauer S., Gisslén M., Roxhed N., Schwenk J.
| Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
Infectious Diseases | Pathophysiology | Dried Blood Spots |  Olink Explore 3072/384 |
Abstract
Blood proteins have provided essential insights into how humans responded to the recent pandemic. To expand our understanding beyond patients seeking medical care, we conducted a citizen-centric survey with 2,000 random residents (age 18-69) from Sweden’s two largest cities in 2021. With self-sampled dried blood spots (DBS) and health information from 437 (22%) volunteers, we performed multi-analyte COVID-19 serology, measured autoantibodies (AAbs) against 22 interferons, and quantified 502 circulating low-abundant immune-related blood proteins. Antibody assays confirmed self-reported infections (26%) and vaccinations (40%), showed timing-dependent discrepancies in the immune response, and revealed anti-type-I-interferon AAbs co-occurring frequently alongside natural infections. Proteomics data added plausible mechanistic insights into cell-mediated processes: data-driven analyses revealed 24% of participants presented deviating immune phenotypes linked to infections, immunity, respiratory effects, and age. Multi-molecular DBS analysis of random layperson samples captured the broader spectrum of immune system states, adding relevant insights for clinical and public health investigations.