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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood
Published on: April 16, 2012
The immune system in aging: roles of cytokines, T cells and NK cells
Hai Huang1, Dhavalkumar D Patel, Kenneth G Manton
1Center for Demographic Studies, Duke University, 2117 Campus Drive Box 90408, Durham, NC 27708, USA. hhai@cds.duke.edu <hhai@cds.duke.edu>
Abstract:
Aging is characterized by a proinflammatory state that contributes to the onset of disability and age-related diseases. Proinflammatory cytokines play a central role in mediating cellular and physiological responses. The levels of these cytokines may reflect immune system effectiveness. Studies of the effects of aging on inflammatory response show interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) to be important. In this review, age-related changes in inflammatory cytokines, T and NK cells, and the biology of IL-6 and TNF-alpha and their relevance to senescence are considered.
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