Association of increased neopterin production with decreased humoral immunity in the elderly.
Tetanus toxoid (TT) antibodies of 447 adult persons aged 27-69 years were investigated and analyzed in relationship with the time span since the last vaccination against tetanus as well as the serum concentration of neopterin. Neopterin is a pteridine, which is produced by monocytes/macrophages upon stimulation with the type 1 T cell-derived cytokine interferon-gamma. There was an inverse correlation between serum neopterin and TT antibody concentrations (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient: r(s)=-0.259; p<0.0001) which was even stronger when persons with neopterin concentrations and TT antibodies below the third quartile of the study population were excluded (residual group: n=210; r(s)=-0.718; p<0.0001). The study demonstrates that an immunoregulatory shift towards type 1 immunity as indicated by higher neopterin concentrations coincides with lower TT antibody concentrations in the elderly.
Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Leopold-Franzens University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Christian
C
Murr
Ursula
U
Hainz
Ester
E
Asch
Peter
P
Berger
Brigitte
B
Jenewein
Maria
M
Saurwein-Teissl
Beatrix
B
Grubeck-Loebenstein
Dietmar
D
Fuchs
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D019798:Neopterin