title: Age-associated changes in the frequency of naïve, memory and effector CD8+ T cells.
abstract: We investigated age-associated changes in the frequency of CD8+ T cell subsets with different functions. Based on expression of CD45RA and CCR7, naïve (CD45RA+ CCR7+), central memory (CM, CD45RA- CCR7+), effector memory (EM, CD45RA- CCR7-) and effector (CD45RA+ CCR7-) CD8+ T cells were identified in peripheral blood from healthy young (n = 17) and elderly (n = 17) people using flow cytometry. The elderly had a decreased frequency of naïve and an increased frequency of EM and effector CD8+ T cells compared to the young. However, both groups had a similar frequency of CM cells. These findings suggest that age-associated changes in CD8+ T cell subsets occur, which could be a potential explanation for altered CD8+ T cell function in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Section of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Yale University, PO Box 208031, 300 Cedar Street, TAC Room 541C, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Myung Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jin Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Insoo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C515370:CCR7 protein, human; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens