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Age-related changes in blood lymphocyte subsets of Saudi Arabian healthy children
S Shahabuddin1, I Al-Ayed, M O Gad El-Rab
1Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. shahab@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu
Insights
Childhood immunity evolves significantly. Key immune cell populations like T cells, B cells, and NK cells change in number and proportion from infancy through adolescence, impacting immune system development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Immune system development is crucial in childhood.
- Understanding age-related changes in lymphocyte subsets is essential for interpreting pediatric health and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy children.
- To provide reference data for pediatric immunology.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze peripheral blood samples.
- Absolute and percentage values of lymphocyte subsets were measured in children aged 1 month to 13 years.
Main Results:
- Most lymphocyte subpopulations showed significant age-related variations.
- Declines in absolute counts of leukocytes, lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, and NK cells were observed with age.
- T cell percentages increased, while B cell percentages decreased; CD8+ T cells increased, and CD4+ T cells decreased, lowering the CD4+/CD8+ ratio.
Conclusions:
- Lymphocyte subset dynamics change substantially during childhood.
- These findings offer valuable insights for diagnosing and managing immune-related conditions and treatment effects in children.
Abstract:
The age-related changes in absolute and percentage values of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of healthy children of different ages (1 month to 13 years) were studied by flow cytometry. The absolute and percentage values for most lymphocyte subpopulations differed substantially with age. Comparisons among age groups from infants through adults revealed progressive declines in the absolute numbers of leukocytes, total lymphocytes, and T, B, and natural killer (NK) cells. The percentages of T cells increased with age. Within the T-lymphocyte population, the CD8(+) subset increased but the CD4(+) subset decreased, resulting in a declining CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio. The percentage of B cells declined, but that of NK cells remained unchanged. The percentage of HLA-DR+ T cells increased over time, but their number changed inconsistently. Our findings confirm and extend earlier reports on age-related changes in lymphocyte subpopulations. These data should be useful in the interpretation of disease-related changes, as well as therapy-dependent alterations, in lymphocyte subsets in children of different age groups.