RANTES and MIP-1alpha production by T lymphocytes, monocytes and NK cells from nonagenarian subjects

While numerous previous studies have investigated age-related changes of cytokine production, little is known about chemokines, the importance of which in regulating immune response is becoming increasingly evident. In this study, a group of healthy subjects over 90 years old is compared to a group of young subjects, we evaluated the ability of monocytes, T lymphocytes and NK cells: (1) to produce RANTES and MIP-1alpha, either in basal conditions or after stimulation with, respectively, LPS, anti-CD3 MoAb and IL-2; (2) to express the corresponding chemokine receptors (CCR1, CCR3, CCR5). We demonstrate that: (a) monocytes, T lymphocytes and NK cells spontaneously produced detectable amounts of chemokines, both in young and old subjects; (b) monocyte-dependent RANTES and MIP-1alpha production induced by LPS was up-regulated in nonagenarian subjects as anti-CD3-induced secretion from T cells; (c) RANTES and MIP-1alpha production by IL-2 stimulated NK cells was reduced in elderly subjects; (d) CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5 were widely expressed on monocytes, but less expressed on T lymphocytes and NK cells. The diversity within PBMC might reflect their different states of activation and/or responsiveness, influencing the ability to develop rapid innate and long-lasting adaptive immune responses.