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

作者：Cruvinel Wilson de Melo; Mesquita Junior Danilo; Pereira Araujo Julio Antonio; Samazi Karina Carvalho; Kallas Esper Georges; Cendoroglo Maysa Seabra; Coelho Andrade Luis Eduardo

来源：Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira, 2015, 61(4): 329-335.

DOI：10.1590/1806-9282.61.04.329

• T-lymphocytes
• aging
• regulators T-lymphocytes

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(high)CD127(+) (0.06 +/- 0.038 versus 0.94 +/- 0.64, p < 0.0001). Treg (CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(empty set)Foxp3(+)) 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(empty set)Foxp3(+) phenotypes: CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(empty set)Foxp3(+) (15.05 +/- 7.34 versus 1.65 +/- 1.71; p < 0.0001) and CD3(+)CD4(+)CD25(empty set)CD127(empty set)Foxp3(+) (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.

• 出版日期2015-8