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Evaluation of Host-Pathogen Responses and Vaccine Efficacy in Mice
Published on: February 22, 2019
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Combination of lymphocyte number and function in evaluating host immunity
Ying Luo1, Yalong Xie2, Weijie Zhang2
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Aging
|December 21, 2019
Summary
Host immunity monitoring improves by assessing lymphocyte number and function together. This combined approach reveals age-related changes and impacts of lifestyle and disease on T cells and NK cells for better diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Conventional immune monitoring methods have limitations.
- The interplay between lymphocyte quantity and immune function remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between lymphocyte number and function across various physiological and pathological states.
- To establish a combined metric for assessing host immunity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+ T cells, NK cells) by number and function using Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion assay.
- Investigation across different age groups, lifestyle conditions (sleep deprivation), and disease states (immunosuppression, autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, infections).
Main Results:
- Aging correlates with decreased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts but increased function, showing a negative correlation between number and function.
- Natural Killer (NK) cell number and function remain high post-birth.
- Sleep deprivation impairs CD4+, CD8+ T cell, and NK cell function.
- Immunosuppression and infections decrease both lymphocyte number and function, while some autoimmune diseases increase them (excluding NK cells).
- Kidney transplant outcomes show dynamic changes in T cell number and function related to rejection or infection.
Conclusions:
- Evaluating host immunity through the combined assessment of lymphocyte number and function is crucial.
- This integrated approach aids in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of various diseases.
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