title: Simultaneous evaluation of circulating chemokine and cytokine profiles in elderly subjects by multiplex technology: relationship with zinc status.
abstract: Cellular components of both adaptive and innate immune systems produce different chemokines and cytokines, involved in different signalling pathways among cells, and modulate effector function during immune response, playing a key role in the regulation of the type and extent of the immune response in the elderly. We evaluated the circulating concentration of selected chemokines: MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, IL-8, RANTES together with IL-6 and TNF-alpha in plasma obtained from a group of healthy old subjects, in order to highlight possible differences in the synthesis of these factors, assuming that both the cytokine and the chemokine networks are remodelled with ageing. The simultaneous evaluation was performed by a multiplex analysis system. In addition, since micronutrient deficiency may underlie an inflammatory response, the association between chemokine levels and a nutritional element such as zinc was also evaluated, since the immune system is the first system to be affected by changing zinc levels, due to its high cell turnover. A progressive age-related increase of plasma concentrations of all soluble factors was observed. The increment was particularly evident for IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 and TNF-alpha in the over 85-year-old group in concomitance with increasing percentages of subjects with low circulating levels of zinc. In conclusion, the remodelling of chemokine profiles, skewed to Th2 response by both advanced ages and circulating levels of zinc, might reflect different states of activation and/or responsiveness of the human immune cell/mediator network, thus influencing the ability to develop rapid innate and long-lasting adaptive immune responses with advancing age.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Immunologia e Genetica, Istituto di Ricerca Codivilla-Putti, IOR, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy. marianie@alma.unibo.it
authors.forename: Erminia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cattini
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malavolta
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mocchegiani
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ravaglia
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Facchini
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C111835:CCL2 protein, human; C515429:CCL3 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D018925:Chemokines; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D016207:Cytokines; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015032:Zinc