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Influenza A virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity declines with advancing age
1Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, St. Louis VAMC, Missouri.
Objective:
To investigate whether influenza A-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity is reduced in elderly compared with younger adults.
Design:
Case series comparing outcomes in young and elderly cohorts.
Setting:
Saint Louis University Division of Geriatric Medicine.
Participants:
Healthy adult outpatients and staff members aged < 50 (young) or > or = 65 (elderly) years.
Methods:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assayed for CTL activity by a 51chromium release assay following 1 week of in vitro stimulation with influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus.
Measurements:
Percent specific lysis of autologous and allogeneic influenza virus-infected target cells.
Main Results:
Specific lysis of autologous A/PR-infected targets was significantly lower in elderly compared to young subjects (P < 0.01), and exceeded 10% in a significantly lower proportion of elderly compared with younger subjects (P < 0.05), but was not influenced by a history of vaccination within the preceding 12 months. Cytotoxic effectors were class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted and displayed heterosubtypic cross-reactivity but were unable to lyse influenza B-infected targets.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate an age-related decline of influenza A virus-specific CTL activity and suggest that CTL responses to inactivated virus vaccine are of short duration.