TY - JOUR
T1 - Different contribution of EBV and CMV infections in very long-term carriers to age-related alterations of CD8+ T cells
AU - Vescovini, Rosanna
AU - Telera, Annarita
AU - Fagnoni, Francesco F.
AU - Biasini, Claudia
AU - Medici, Maria Cristina
AU - Valcavi, Pierpaolo
AU - Di Pede, Patricia
AU - Lucchini, Gianluca
AU - Zanlari, Luca
AU - Passeri, Giovanni
AU - Zanni, Franco
AU - Chezzi, Carlo
AU - Franceschi, Claudio
AU - Sansoni, Paolo
PY - 2004/8
Y1 - 2004/8
N2 - Aging is accompanied by a complex dynamics of CD8+ T cell subsets whose origin is unclear. To evaluate the impact of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) chronic infections on CD8+ T cells in far advanced age, we studied CD8+ T cells frequencies and phenotype in nonagenarians and centenarians by HLA-A*0201- and HLA-B*0702- tetramers incorporating epitopes specific of both viruses along with viral replication. The results demonstrate that EBV and CMV infections induce quantitatively and qualitatively different CD8+ T-cell responses in advanced aging. The frequency and absolute number of CD8+ T cells specific for one lytic and two latent EBV-epitopes, were relatively low and mostly included within CD8+ CD28+ cells. By contrast, CMV infection was characterized by highly variable numbers of CD8+ T cells specific for two differently restricted CMV-epitopes that, in some subjects, were strikingly expanded. Moreover, the great majority of anti-CMV CD8+ T cells did not bear CD28 antigen. Notwithstanding the expansion of CMV-specific CD8+ lymphocytes, CMV-DNA detection in blood samples was invariably negative. Altogether, we suggest that CMV, but not EBV, can sustain chronic activation of the HLA-class I restricted effector arm in elderly that might have detrimental effects on age-associated diseases.
AB - Aging is accompanied by a complex dynamics of CD8+ T cell subsets whose origin is unclear. To evaluate the impact of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) chronic infections on CD8+ T cells in far advanced age, we studied CD8+ T cells frequencies and phenotype in nonagenarians and centenarians by HLA-A*0201- and HLA-B*0702- tetramers incorporating epitopes specific of both viruses along with viral replication. The results demonstrate that EBV and CMV infections induce quantitatively and qualitatively different CD8+ T-cell responses in advanced aging. The frequency and absolute number of CD8+ T cells specific for one lytic and two latent EBV-epitopes, were relatively low and mostly included within CD8+ CD28+ cells. By contrast, CMV infection was characterized by highly variable numbers of CD8+ T cells specific for two differently restricted CMV-epitopes that, in some subjects, were strikingly expanded. Moreover, the great majority of anti-CMV CD8+ T cells did not bear CD28 antigen. Notwithstanding the expansion of CMV-specific CD8+ lymphocytes, CMV-DNA detection in blood samples was invariably negative. Altogether, we suggest that CMV, but not EBV, can sustain chronic activation of the HLA-class I restricted effector arm in elderly that might have detrimental effects on age-associated diseases.
KW - Aging
KW - CD8 T cells
KW - CMV
KW - EBV
KW - HLA-tetramers
KW - Immunosenescence
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U2 - 10.1016/j.exger.2004.04.004
DO - 10.1016/j.exger.2004.04.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 15288697
AN - SCOPUS:3543141247
VL - 39
SP - 1233
EP - 1243
JO - Experimental Gerontology
JF - Experimental Gerontology
SN - 0531-5565
IS - 8
ER -