Cytokines correlate with age in healthy volunteers, dialysis patients and kidney-transplant patients.
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.
Böhler
Torsten
T
INSERM U. 858 EQ 10, Institut Louis Bugnard, 1 Ave J Poulhès, CHU Rangueil, 3100 Toulouse, France. boehlert@toulouse.inserm.fr
Canivet
Cindy
C
Nguyen
Phuong Ngan Le
PN
Galvani
Sylvain
S
Thomsen
Mogens
M
Durand
Dominique
D
Salvayre
Robert
R
Negre-Salvayre
Anne
A
Rostaing
Lionel
L
Kamar
Nassim
N
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*
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