title: Early T-cell activation in elderly humans.
abstract: This study characterizes the early steps of T lymphocyte activation in elderly subjects. The expression of CD69, the earliest inducible antigen which appears with T lymphocyte activation, was assessed in T cells cultured with medium, anti-CD3 or PMA. The proliferative responses of T cells stimulated through CD69 and CD3 pathways were also studied. Donors included 31 healthy elderly [age mean (SD) 80(8) years] and 33 healthy young [age 30(5) years] subjects. In elderly people, the expression of CD69 was lower in T cells cultured with medium [3.4% (1.65-5.9; 25-75 percentiles) vs. 10% (6-18), p < 0.0003] and anti-CD3 activated [28.1% (16.5-53.8) vs. 79.5% (73-89), p < 0.0002] T cells. With PMA at 10 ng/ml, CD69 expression was higher in both groups of T cells, though still lower in the aged [84.5% (70.9-94.9) vs. 99% (65.7-100), p = 0.051]. CD69 T cells expression was equal in both groups with 2 ng/ml of PMA, but the co-stimulatory responses to CD69 under these conditions and in the presence of anti-CD3 were lower in the aged (16914 vs. 28904 cpm, p < 0.02) and (6944 vs. 14370 cpm, p < 0.02) respectively. Aged T cells failed to express CD25 at the same levels of young T cells when stimulated with CD69. These results suggests an age-associated defect in the very early steps of T lymphocyte activation that might influence later stages of lymphocyte function. An alteration in the transmission of the activation signal from the cell surface to protein kinase C may play a primary role in this defect.
authors.affiliation: Services of Geriatrics, Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bañares
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jover
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000099192:CD69 Antigens