title: Differential effects of Cytomegalovirus carriage on the immune phenotype of middle-aged males and females.
abstract: The elderly population is more susceptible to infections as a result of an altered immune response, commonly referred to as immunosenescence. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-infection associated changes in blood lymphocytes are known to impact this process, but the interaction with gender remains unclear. Therefore, we analysed the effects and interaction of gender and CMV on the absolute numbers of a comprehensive set of naive and memory T- and B-cell subsets in people between 50 and 65 years of age. Enumeration and characterisation of lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry was performed on fresh whole blood samples from 255 middle-aged persons. CMV-IgG serostatus was determined by ELISA. Gender was a major factor affecting immune cell numbers. CMV infection was mainly associated with an expansion of late-differentiated T-cell subsets. CMV+ males carried lower numbers of total CD4+, CD4+ central memory (CM) and follicular helper T-cells than females and CMV- males. Moreover, CMV+ males had significantly lower numbers of regulatory T (Treg)-cells and memory B-cells than CMV+ females. We here demonstrate an interaction between the effects of CMV infection and gender on T- and B-cells in middle-aged individuals. These differential effects on adaptive immunity between males and females may have implications for vaccination strategies at middle-age.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control (Cib), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands.|Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Heiden
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands.|Department of Immunology and Pathology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Menno C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: van Zelm
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophinus J W
authors.initials: SJW
authors.lastname: Bartol
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control (Cib), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lia G H
authors.initials: LGH
authors.lastname: de Rond
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control (Cib), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guy A M
authors.initials: GAM
authors.lastname: Berbers
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemieke M H
authors.initials: AMH
authors.lastname: Boots
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control (Cib), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buisman
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D002353:Carrier State; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012737:Sex Factors; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G