title: γ/δ T cell subsets in human aging using the classical α/β T cell model.
abstract: Aging is associated with an increased susceptibility to infections and diseases. It has also been associated with reduced functionality and altered distribution of immune cells, especially T cells. Whereas classical α/β T cells, especially CD8(+) T cells, were shown to be highly susceptible to aging, the effects of viral persistent stimulations on the fate of γ/δ T cells are much less documented. Healthy, elderly individuals of Chinese ethnical background were recruited under the aegis of SLAS-II. In this observational study, γ/δ T cell populations were characterized by flow cytometry and compared with the α/β CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in elderly and young controls. In our study, we identified a reduced frequency of γ/δ T cells but not α/β T cells with aging. The classical markers of α/β T cell aging, including CD28, CD27, and CD57, did not prove significant for γ/δ T cells. The extreme range of expression of these markers in γ/δ T cells was responsible for the lack of relationship between γ/δ T cell subsets, CD4/CD8 ratio, and anti-CMV titers that was significant for α/β T cells and, especially, CD8(+) T cells. Although markers of aging for γ/δ T cells are not clearly identified, our data collectively suggest that the presence of CD27 γ/δ T cells is associated with markers of α/β T cell aging.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Anusha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasudev
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Crystal Tan Tze
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Shamini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayyadhury
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Kia Joo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Puan
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Anand Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Andiappan
authors.affiliation: Gerontological Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and.
authors.forename: Ma Shwe Zin
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nyunt
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Nurhidaya Binte
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Shadan
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Seri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Ivy
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Low
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore;
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rotzschke
authors.affiliation: Research Center on Aging, University of Sherbrooke, Faculty of Medicine, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Tamas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fulop
authors.affiliation: Gerontological Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and.
authors.forename: Tze Pin
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; anis_larbi@immunol.a-star.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larbi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015415:Biomarkers; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
keywords: CD4/CD8 ratio; cell differentiation; cellular markers; immunosenescence; penotyping; persistent infections