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Related Experiment Videos

Dysfunctional CMV-specific CD8(+) T cells accumulate in the elderly.

Qin Ouyang1, Wolfgang M Wagner, Wei Zheng

  • 1Tübingen Ageing and Tumour Immunology Group, Section for Transplantation Immunology and Immunohematology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. qouyang@bccrc.ca

Experimental Gerontology
|March 31, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Elderly individuals often have dysfunctional cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific CD8(+) T cells, leading to a weakened immune response. This dysfunction may increase susceptibility to infections in older adults.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Gerontology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Large clonal expansions of CD8(+) T cells specific for cytomegalovirus (CMV) epitopes are prevalent in the elderly.
  • These expansions are linked to an immune risk phenotype associated with increased mortality.
  • Ageing impacts T cell function, particularly in response to persistent viral infections like CMV.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of ageing on the cytokine-producing capacity of CMV-specific CD8(+) T cells.
  • To compare the antigen responsiveness of T cells in CMV-seropositive old and young donors.
  • To determine if CMV-specific T cells in the elderly exhibit functional impairment.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-10 producing CD8(+) T cell responses.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Stimulation with CMV peptide antigen in CMV-seropositive old and young individuals.
  • Analysis of T cell populations, specifically A2/NLV-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes.

    • Main Results:

    • Elderly individuals exhibit large expansions of A2/NLV-specific CD8(+) T cells.
    • These expanded T cells show a decreased frequency of IFN-γ and IL-10 production upon antigen stimulation, indicating partial loss of function.
    • A bias towards a more anti-inflammatory cytokine profile was observed in the elderly T cells.

    Conclusions:

    • The majority of clonally expanded CMV-specific CD8(+) T cells in the elderly are dysfunctional.
    • Accumulation of these dysfunctional T cells may occupy "immunological space," limiting responses to new antigens.
    • This T cell dysfunction in the elderly could contribute to the higher incidence of infectious diseases.