title: Cytokines correlate with age in healthy volunteers, dialysis patients and kidney-transplant patients.
abstract: T-cell functions are currently used as biomarkers for the pharmacodynamic monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs or as disease biomarkers of inflammation/sepsis and organ rejection. In order to evaluate co-factors potentially influencing the expression of the immunological biomarkers, we explored T-cell proliferation, T-cell activation (CD25 and CD71 expressions) and intra-lymphocyte cytokine production (interleukin (IL)-2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha) in healthy volunteers, dialysis patients and stable kidney-transplant patients treated with standard immunosuppressive therapy, i.e. tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid with or without steroids. Age was positively correlated with TNF-alpha expression in all three patient populations, and with IL-2 expression in healthy volunteers and kidney-transplant patients. Further age was correlated with inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation in healthy volunteers and with the T-cell activation marker CD25 in kidney-transplant patients. In healthy volunteers lymphocyte proliferation was higher in woman as compared to men. Other biomarkers of T-cell function were independent of the gender. In the kidney-transplant patient group a significantly lower expression of all biomarkers of T-cell functions compared to healthy volunteers and dialysis patients. In dialysis patients we found significant increased IL-2 expression compared to healthy volunteers, while the other T-cell functions were not significantly different. Further time on dialysis had no effect on the level of biomarker expression. In conclusion we found decreased T-cell functions in kidney-transplant patients compared to healthy volunteers and dialysis patients, increased IL-2 expression in dialysis patients compared to healthy volunteers and in all three populations we found a correlation of age and intra-T-lymphocyte TNF-alpha expression.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U. 858 EQ 10, Institut Louis Bugnard, 1 Ave J Poulhès, CHU Rangueil, 3100 Toulouse, France. boehlert@toulouse.inserm.fr
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Böhler
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canivet
authors.forename: Phuong Ngan Le
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galvani
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvayre
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Negre-Salvayre
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rostaing
authors.forename: Nassim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C068126:CD71 antigen; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha