BACKGROUND: The characterization of physiological immune signatures in a population-based cohort is a prerequisite for identifying pathological immune signatures associated with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Here, 47 plasma cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were quantified with a bead-based multiplex-assay (Merck HCYTA-60 K) using a FLEXMAP 3D™ instrument in 1175 individuals of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP
TREND cohort, 532 men and 643 women, age: 20 to 81, BMI: 17.7 to 53.6). Associations of cytokine concentrations with age, sex, BMI, season, and blood cell parameters (BCP) were examined by multivariate regression models. RESULTS: The physiological cytokine concentrations differed strongly between analytes, with median concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 7820 pg/mL. Many cytokine levels showed a large dynamic range within the study population. Higher levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines IL-6, IL-8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-12p40, CCL2, CCL4, CCL11, IL-27, FLT3LG, and TNFα were significantly associated with increasing age. The strongest age-associated effects were seen for CXCL9 (β CONCLUSION: The generated cytokine atlas provides detailed information on cytokine variations in the general population and will provide a reference base for disease-related studies in the future. Furthermore, BCPs should be considered as potential confounders in association studies based on plasma cytokine levels.