Distinct Infant Immune Phenotypes Determine Childhood Disease Trajectories

Deregulated immune responses to environmental triggers may propagate disease by eliciting chronic inflammatory disease trajectories. To address relations between early immune competence and development of common childhood diseases in humans, we performed a large-scale immunological profiling in 18-month-old infants and linked ex vivo functional immune response phenotypes to development of disease until school-age. Several distinct and non-overlapping response phenotypes were identified to selectively associate with development of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, or atopic dermatitis. These findings pinpoint the diversity of immune responses between infants in early life and its importance in relation to the development of common childhood diseases.