Abstract
The aim of our study was to analyze some poorly investigated and controversial aspects of senescent lymphocyte phenotype and functions. We examined 100 healthy aging individuals, divided into 4 age groups, and 30 young controls, correlating lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogenic stimulation with membrane phenotypic pattern and surface molecular densities of the main functional lymphoid markers. Stability of values in the period of study was established. No age-related differences in the parameters evaluated were detected among aging subjects. Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte proliferation was found severely impaired (about halved) in all elderly individuals with respect to controls. There was no significant difference between elderly group and controls in CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD25 and HLA- DR antigen distribution. CD56 positive cell percentages were slightly decreased in the elderly groups. In apparent correlation with reduced lymphocyte responsiveness, CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD8 molecular densities, to different extents, were found relevantly (about 1 to 3-fold) lower in all aging groups than in controls. We could not ascertain if those antigens were poorly synthesized, defectively transported to membrane or shed in excess. However, we suggest that decreased surface molecular densities of antigens involved in functional processes of immune responses may be responsible for an abnormal costimulatory pattern during lymphocyte activation, leading to apoptotic rather than proliferative signals in a greater proportion of cells than normal.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 246-252 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Annali Italiani di Medicina Interna |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1999 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
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Decreased surface antigen density on lymphocytes of elderly humans. / Setti, M.; Alvaro, M. R.; Imperato, A.; Bosco, O.; Brenci, S.; Puppo, F.; Indiveri, F.
In: Annali Italiani di Medicina Interna, Vol. 14, No. 4, 1999, p. 246-252.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Decreased surface antigen density on lymphocytes of elderly humans
AU - Setti, M.
AU - Alvaro, M. R.
AU - Imperato, A.
AU - Bosco, O.
AU - Brenci, S.
AU - Puppo, F.
AU - Indiveri, F.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - The aim of our study was to analyze some poorly investigated and controversial aspects of senescent lymphocyte phenotype and functions. We examined 100 healthy aging individuals, divided into 4 age groups, and 30 young controls, correlating lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogenic stimulation with membrane phenotypic pattern and surface molecular densities of the main functional lymphoid markers. Stability of values in the period of study was established. No age-related differences in the parameters evaluated were detected among aging subjects. Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte proliferation was found severely impaired (about halved) in all elderly individuals with respect to controls. There was no significant difference between elderly group and controls in CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD25 and HLA- DR antigen distribution. CD56 positive cell percentages were slightly decreased in the elderly groups. In apparent correlation with reduced lymphocyte responsiveness, CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD8 molecular densities, to different extents, were found relevantly (about 1 to 3-fold) lower in all aging groups than in controls. We could not ascertain if those antigens were poorly synthesized, defectively transported to membrane or shed in excess. However, we suggest that decreased surface molecular densities of antigens involved in functional processes of immune responses may be responsible for an abnormal costimulatory pattern during lymphocyte activation, leading to apoptotic rather than proliferative signals in a greater proportion of cells than normal.
AB - The aim of our study was to analyze some poorly investigated and controversial aspects of senescent lymphocyte phenotype and functions. We examined 100 healthy aging individuals, divided into 4 age groups, and 30 young controls, correlating lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogenic stimulation with membrane phenotypic pattern and surface molecular densities of the main functional lymphoid markers. Stability of values in the period of study was established. No age-related differences in the parameters evaluated were detected among aging subjects. Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte proliferation was found severely impaired (about halved) in all elderly individuals with respect to controls. There was no significant difference between elderly group and controls in CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD25 and HLA- DR antigen distribution. CD56 positive cell percentages were slightly decreased in the elderly groups. In apparent correlation with reduced lymphocyte responsiveness, CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD8 molecular densities, to different extents, were found relevantly (about 1 to 3-fold) lower in all aging groups than in controls. We could not ascertain if those antigens were poorly synthesized, defectively transported to membrane or shed in excess. However, we suggest that decreased surface molecular densities of antigens involved in functional processes of immune responses may be responsible for an abnormal costimulatory pattern during lymphocyte activation, leading to apoptotic rather than proliferative signals in a greater proportion of cells than normal.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033405008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 10638017
AN - SCOPUS:0033405008
VL - 14
SP - 246
EP - 252
JO - Annali Italiani di Medicina Interna
JF - Annali Italiani di Medicina Interna
SN - 0393-9340
IS - 4
ER -