Seasonal rhythms of "acute phase proteins" in humans

Acute phase proteins comprise a group of proteins whose concentrations increase or decrease by at least 25% after a damaging stimulus (burn, trauma, tissue damage, etc.) or during inflammation. We investigated the seasonal variation in the concentrations of several acute phase proteins-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), transferrin (Tf), alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M), ceruloplasinin (Cp), antitrypsin (AT), and haptoglobin (Hp). Blood samples were collected from 15 healthy volunteers, who were Subjected to the seasonal changes in illumination, were drawn at 08:00h every 3 months (August, November, January/February, March/April, June/July). With the exception of Hp, all acute phase proteins showed an annual rhythm (ANOVA;p < 0.01). Lowest concentrations occurred in the winter months (November through February), with the exception of Tf, which was oppositely phased.