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[Circulating immune complexes and age]
Insights
Healthy adults aged 0-15 years have the lowest circulating immune complexes. Immune complex levels show minor variations across other adult age groups, with no significant sex-based differences observed.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Clinical Chemistry
Context:
- Circulating immune complexes (CICs) play a role in immune homeostasis and disease.
- Quantifying CICs in healthy populations provides a baseline for understanding immune function.
Purpose:
- To quantitatively determine CIC levels in healthy individuals across different age groups.
- To investigate potential age- and sex-related variations in CICs.
- To explore the association between autoantibodies and CICs in older adults.
Summary:
- A study analyzed CICs in 413 healthy individuals using PEG-precipitation.
- The 0-15 years age group exhibited the lowest CIC levels (3.14 ± 0.96 mg protein/ml).
- CIC levels were similar in age groups 16-60 years (3.82–3.91 mg protein/ml), with a slight decrease in those >60 years (3.62 ± 0.75 mg protein/ml).
- No significant sex-based differences in CICs were found.
- Autoantibodies (ANF, anti-dsDNA) were detected in 24.7% of individuals >60 years, but did not correlate with CIC levels.
Impact:
- Establishes age-specific reference ranges for CICs in a healthy cohort.
- Provides insights into normal immune complex dynamics across the lifespan.
- Highlights the lack of correlation between common autoantibodies and CICs in healthy aging individuals.
Abstract:
The circulating immune complexes were quantitatively determined by PEG-precipitation in the serum samples of 413 from the clinical point of view healthy persons subdivided into several age groups. In comparison with the other age groups the age group of 0-15 years showed the lowest immune complex values (mean = 3.14 +/- 0.96 mg protein/ml) with a significant higher distribution (p = 5%). Significant differences between the persons of the age of 16-30, 31-45 and 46-60 years were not traceable. The average values of the circulating immune complexes amounted to 3.82 +/- 0.75, 3.9 +/- 0.67 respectively 3.91 +/- 0.38 mg protein/ml. In comparison with these three age groups the circulating immune complexes showed with an average value of 3.62 +/- 0.75 mg protein/ml a falling tendency for the persons more than 60 years old. There existed a statistical significant difference (p = 5%) for the persons of the age of 31-45 years. A sexual dependence of the immune complexes could not be found within the age groups. Autoantibodies (ANF, anti-dsDNA antibodies) were traceable in the serum of 23 (24.7%) of the persons more than 60 years old. The comparison of the sera with and without autoantibodies didn't show any significant difference with regard to the immune complexes.