Social isolation, loneliness and subsequently developing risk for autoimmune diseases: A prospective study from UK Biobank
- 1State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
- 2State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Medical Science Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 3State Key Laboratory of New Targets Discovery and Drug Development for Major Diseases, Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Corresponding author. Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341001, China.
Abstract
Background: Social isolation and loneliness may be associated with neuroendocrine and inflammatory alterations, but prospective associations with autoimmune disease remain unclear. We examined these associations and joint risk patterns with genetic susceptibility. Methods: This prospective study included 454,529 UK Biobank participants without any of 19 autoimmune diseases at baseline. Level of social isolation was assessed using a three-item score based on social contact, participation in social activities, and living situation; participants were categorized as least, moderately, or most isolated. Level of loneliness was assessed using a two-item score based on feeling lonely and ability to confide; participants were categorized as lonely or non-lonely. Outcomes included overall autoimmune disease, a composite of the 19 diseases, and each disease separately. Cox models estimated associations, including analyses with outcome-matched polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results: During a median follow-up of 13.2 years, 39,101 participants developed autoimmune disease. Compared with the least isolated group, HRs were 1.07 (95% CI 1.05–1.09) and 1.15 (95% CI 1.11–1.19) for the moderately and most isolated groups, respectively. Lonely participants had a higher risk than non-lonely participants (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14–1.24). Joint analyses showed higher risks with adverse social exposures and high PRS, whereas FDR-corrected analyses provided limited evidence of interaction across PRS levels for overall autoimmune disease. Conclusions: Social isolation and loneliness were associated with modestly higher autoimmune disease risk, but causal and population-level interpretations are not warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{tang2026social,
title = {{Social isolation, loneliness and subsequently developing risk for autoimmune diseases: A prospective study from UK Biobank}},
author = {Yuyun Tang and Yuanyuan Cao and Yilu Xue and Caixuan Sun and Ao Li and Xin Zhang and Manli Hu},
journal = {Brain, Behavior, \& Immunity - Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101360},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101360},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Social isolation, loneliness and subsequently developing risk for autoimmune diseases: A prospective study from UK Biobank
AU - Yuyun Tang
AU - Yuanyuan Cao
AU - Yilu Xue
AU - Caixuan Sun
AU - Ao Li
AU - Xin Zhang
AU - Manli Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
DO - 10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101360
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2026.101360
AB - Background: Social isolation and loneliness may be associated with neuroendocrine and inflammatory alterations, but prospective associations with autoimmune disease remain unclear. We examined these associations and joint risk patterns with genetic susceptibility. Methods: This prospective study included 454,529 UK Biobank participants without any of 19 autoimmune diseases at baseline. Level of social isolation was assessed using a three-item score based on social contact, participation in social activities, and living situation; participants were categorized as least, moderately, or most isolated. Level of loneliness was assessed using a two-item score based on feeling lonely and ability to confide; participants were categorized as lonely or non-lonely. Outcomes included overall autoimmune disease, a composite of the 19 diseases, and each disease separately. Cox models estimated associations, including analyses with outcome-matched polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results: During a median follow-up of 13.2 years, 39,101 participants developed autoimmune disease. Compared with the least isolated group, HRs were 1.07 (95% CI 1.05–1.09) and 1.15 (95% CI 1.11–1.19) for the moderately and most isolated groups, respectively. Lonely participants had a higher risk than non-lonely participants (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14–1.24). Joint analyses showed higher risks with adverse social exposures and high PRS, whereas FDR-corrected analyses provided limited evidence of interaction across PRS levels for overall autoimmune disease. Conclusions: Social isolation and loneliness were associated with modestly higher autoimmune disease risk, but causal and population-level interpretations are not warranted.
SN - 2666-3546
ER -