title: Maintenance of CMV-specific CD8+ T cell responses and the relationship of IL-27 to IFN-γ levels with aging.
abstract: We investigated whether healthy young (age ≤ 40) and elderly (age ≥ 65) people infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) had similar levels of CD8(+) T cell cytokine production and proliferation in response to an immunodominant CMV pp65 peptide pool given the role of CD8(+) T cells in controlling viral infection and the association of CMV with immunosenescence. Plus, we determined the effects of aging and CMV-infectious status on plasma levels of IL-27, an innate immune cytokine with pro- and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as on its relationship to IFN-γ in that IL-27 can promote the production of IFN-γ. The results of our study show that young and elderly people had similar levels of CD8(+) T cell proliferation, and IFN-γ and TNF-α production in response to CMV pp65 peptides. Plasma levels of IL-27 were similar between the two groups although CMV-infected young and elderly people had a trend toward increased levels of IL-27. Regardless of aging and CMV-infectious status, plasma levels of IL-27 correlated highly with plasma levels of IFN-γ. These findings suggest the maintenance of CMV pp65-specific CD8(+) T cell proliferation and cytokine production with aging as well as the sustaining of circulatory IL-27 levels and its biological link to IFN-γ in young and elderly people irrespective of CMV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Min Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Naeun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Won-Woo
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
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 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; C464565:MYDGF protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa; D007371:Interferon-gamma