title: Abnormal phenotypic distribution of regulatory and effector T cells in octogenarian and nonagenarian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  aging is associated with several immunologic changes. Regulatory (Treg) and effector T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of infectious, neoplastic, and autoimmune diseases. Little is known about the effects of aging on the frequency and function of these T cell subpopulations.
  
  
  METHODS
  peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 26 young (under 44 years old) and 18 elderly (above 80 years old) healthy women. T cell subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  elderly individuals had lower frequency of several activated effector T cell phenotypes as compared with young individuals: CD3+CD4+CD25+ (3.82±1.93 versus 9.53±4.49; p<0.0001); CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127+(2.39±1.19 versus 7.26±3.84; p<0.0001); CD3+CD4+CD25+ (0.41±0.22 versus 1.86±0.85, p<0.0001); and CD3+CD4+CD25highCD127+(0.06±0.038 versus 0.94±0.64, p<0.0001). Treg (CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127øFoxp3+) presented lower frequency in elderly individuals as compared to young adults (0.34±0.18 versus 0.76±0.48; p=0.0004) and its frequency was inversely correlated with age in the whole group (r=-0.439; p=0.013). The elderly group showed higher frequency of two undefined CD25øFoxp3+ phenotypes: CD3+CD4+CD25øFoxp3+(15.05±7.34 versus 1.65±1.71; p<0.0001) and CD3+CD4+CD25øCD127øFoxp3+(13.0±5.52 versus 3.51±2.87; p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the altered proportion of different T cell subsets herein documented in healthy elderly women may be relevant to the understanding of the immunologic behavior and disease susceptibility patterns observed in geriatric patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiás, GO, BR.
authors.forename: Wilson de Melo
authors.initials: Wde M
authors.lastname: Cruvinel
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mesquita Júnior
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Júlio Antônio Pereira
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Karina Carvalho
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Samazi
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Esper Georges
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Kállas
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Maysa Seabra
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cendoroglo
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Luis Eduardo Coelho
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult