Changes in CD8 and CD4 lymphocyte subsets, T cell proliferation responses and non-survival in the very old: the...

Results from a previous longitudinal study indicated that a combination of high CD8 and low CD4 percentages and poor T cell proliferation in peripheral blood lymphocytes was associated with higher mortality in a subgroup of a sample of very old Swedish individuals. The present study examined whether those results could be confirmed at a subsequent 2-year time interval by investigating if additional individuals from the same original sample had developed the immune profile associated with higher mortality. Subgroups were formed by cluster analysis and similar to our previous results, this follow-up study identified a subgroup of subjects (n = 18) with an immune profile which again included high CD8, low CD4 percentages and poor mitogen response and was associated with higher mortality. Over the 2-year period 12 additional individuals: (1) Developed this immune profile; and (2) Could be identified by changes in their CD4:CD8 ratios which progressively decreased over the study period. These results confirm our original study and indicate that in this very old sample, over a subsequent 2 year period, additional individuals moved into the cluster at risk for higher mortality.