title: The effects of aging on lymphocyte subgroups in males and females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Age-associated immune senescence is a catch-all phrase that has been used to describe a plethora of changes to the immune system across the lifespan. Aging is associated with a decline in immune function. Our aim in this study was to investigate how lymphocyte subgroups in peripheral blood are affected by aging among males and females.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study participants were 70 healthy individuals from 3 different age groups, observed from January 2010 to January 2012. The average levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD16+/CD56+, CD3+/CD69+, and CD19+/CD69+ were determined for each group and compared in terms of age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant reduction in the level of CD3+T cells related with age, but no significant changes in CD19+ B cell levels (p<0.005). Aging significantly reduces activated B cell (CD19+/CD69+) levels in males (p<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that there may be differences between males and females in terms of immune senescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koç
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin Yuce
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Bircan
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ogan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yuzuncu Yil University, Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alpaslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Yuzuncu Yil University, Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kemik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged