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Updated: Jan 1, 2026
Evaluation of Host-Pathogen Responses and Vaccine Efficacy in Mice
Published on: February 22, 2019
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.
Insights
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.
Abstract:
Accurate monitoring of host immunity is hampered by the flaws of conventional tests. The relationship between lymphocyte number and function is unknown. The function of lymphocytes was analyzed based on IFN-γ secretion assay. Lymphocyte number and function was investigated in individuals under various states. The number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was gradually decreased, whereas the function of them was gradually increased with increasing age. A significantly negative correlation existed between the number and function of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Differently, both the number and function of NK cells are maintained at a high level after birth. Staying up all night was found to impair the function of CD4+, CD8+ T cells, or NK cells. Lymphocyte number and function were both decreased in patients with immunosuppressive conditions or opportunistic infections, while the opposite phenomenon was observed in patients with some autoimmune diseases (except for NK cells). In kidney transplant recipients, the number and function of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were increased or decreased when rejection or infection occurred. We demonstrated that evaluation of host immunity based on combination of lymphocyte number and function plays an important role in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of diseases.
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