Immunosenescence Induced by Plasma from Individuals with Obesity Caused Cell Signaling Dysfunction and Inflammation

To evaluate the consequences of plasma from individuals with obesity on parameters associated with immunosenescence in unrelated healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

Freshly isolated PBMC were incubated in media supplemented with 10% of plasma from individuals with obesity or control subjects for the first 4 hours of 24 to 120 hours of culture.

Plasma from individuals with obesity modulated the phenotype of healthy PBMC, leading to a higher rate of apoptosis, lower amounts of phospho-γH2AX and -p53, and mitochondrial dysfunction. After 120 hours, there was a higher secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8. CD8⁺ T lymphocytes presented decreased expression of CD28, which is associated with the immunosenescent phenotype. CD14⁺ macrophages showed increased expression of CD80 and CD206, suggesting a modulation in the activation of macrophages.

These results demonstrate that chronic systemic inflammation observed in obesity induces dysfunctional features in PBMC that are consistent with premature immunosenescence.