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Participants will initially be contacted by an Ausimmune nurse. Those who decide to take part in the study will then be mailed questions on diet, physical activity and places of residence. Participants will bring these completed questionnaires to an interview.

The Ausimmune interview is of approximately 90 minutes duration. This will take place at a local hospital/university or, if the participant prefers, at home.

The interview involves the completion of a questionnaire - with the help of the research nurse - concerning aspects of medical and life history. In addition, an examination of skin type, measurement of height and weight, and an assessment of the skin texture on the back of the hand will be conducted. To measure skin texture, a small amount of silicone gel is placed on the back of the hand and then peeled off (see figure 1). This may cause mild discomfort if the back of the hand is very hairy. Skin type will be measured by a spectrophotometer ( a machine which measures reflected light). As well, a blood sample (35ml) will be taken for viral and antibody studies, and blood levels of vitamin D. A part of this blood sample will be stored for future genetic studies that aim to examine host susceptibility to immune disorders and other diseases, under different environmental conditions.

Participation in the study is voluntary and participants are free to leave the study at any time.

Figure 1.