The total mass, number, and distribution of immune cells in the human body

The immune system is a complex network of cells with critical functions in health and disease. However, a comprehensive census of the cells comprising the immune system is lacking. Here, we estimated the abundance of the primary immune cell types throughout all tissues in the human body. We conducted a literature survey and integrated data from multiplexed imaging and methylome-based deconvolution. We also considered cellular mass to determine the distribution of immune cells in terms of both number and total mass. Our results indicate that the immune system of a reference 73 kg man consists of 1.8 × 10 12 cells (95% CI 1.5–2.3 × 10 12 ), weighing 1.2 kg (95% CI 0.8–1.9). Lymphocytes constitute 40% of the…

• IS
  Israel Science Foundation

  Award: 158/18