Abnormal phenotypic distribution of regulatory and effector T cells in octogenarian and nonagenarian women

Distribuição fenotípica anormal das células T reguladoras e efetoras em mulheres octogenárias e nonagenárias

Summary

Introduction:

aging is associated with several immunologic changes. Regulatory (Treg) and effector T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of infectious, neoplastic, and autoimmune diseases. Little is known about the effects of aging on the frequency and function of these T cell subpopulations.

Methods:

peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 26 young (under 44 years old) and 18 elderly (above 80 years old) healthy women. T cell subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry.

Results:

elderly individuals had lower frequency of several activated effector T cell phenotypes as compared with young individuals: CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺ (3.82±1.93 versus 9.53±4.49; p<0.0001); CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127⁺(2.39±1.19 versus 7.26±3.84; p<0.0001); CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺ (0.41±0.22 versus 1.86±0.85, p<0.0001); and CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25^highCD127⁺(0.06±0.038 versus 0.94±0.64, p<0.0001). Treg (CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^øFoxp3⁺) presented lower frequency in elderly individuals as compared to young adults (0.34±0.18 versus 0.76±0.48; p=0.0004) and its frequency was inversely correlated with age in the whole group (r=-0.439; p=0.013). The elderly group showed higher frequency of two undefined CD25^øFoxp3⁺ phenotypes: CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25^øFoxp3⁺(15.05±7.34 versus 1.65±1.71; p<0.0001) and CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25^øCD127^øFoxp3⁺(13.0±5.52 versus 3.51±2.87; p<0.0001).

Conclusions:

the altered proportion of different T cell subsets herein documented in healthy elderly women may be relevant to the understanding of the immunologic behavior and disease susceptibility patterns observed in geriatric patients.

Keywords:
T-lymphocytes; aging; regulators T-lymphocytes