Characterization of naïve, memory and effector CD8+ T cells: effect of age.
Aging is associated with progressive decline in T cell functions and increased frequency of infections, autoimmune phenomenon, and cancer. Memory T cells rapidly acquire effector functions to kill infected and malignant cells and/or inhibit their replication. Recently, memory T cells have been further classified into central and effector memory T cells (and early and intermediate T cells by some investigators). In aging, memory T cells are accumulated; however, these subpopulations of memory and effector T cells have not been fully characterized and changes in central memory and effector memory T cells in aged humans have not been described. In this article, we have further defined naïve, central memory, effector memory, and effector CD8+ T cells in humans and their changes in aged humans.
Gupta
Sudhir
S
Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, Medical Sciences C C-240, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 4069, USA. sgupta@uci.edu
Bi
Ruifen
R
Su
Kevin
K
Yel
Leman
L
Chiplunkar
Sujata
S
Gollapudi
Sastry
S
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*