Korean J Lab Med.  2003 Jun;23(3):205-213.

Immunosenescence-related Markers of T Cell Subsets in Conventional Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping

• Won DI
• Song KE
• Suh JS
• Lee WK
• Lee NY

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Changes in the T cells are of the main causes of immunosenescence. We searched for the practical markers for immunosenescence with the antibodies used in conventional lymphocyte immunophenotyping. METHODS: Between a young healthy group (mean age 31.2+/-2.9 years) and an old patient group (mean age 83.1+/-3.8 years), CD4lo, CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) and CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) T cells by three-color flow cytometry were compared. The methods for measurement of DN and DP T cells were evaluated. RESULTS: The markers that differed significantly in the 2 groups were the percentage of DN T cells, DP T cells, and the absolute number of DN T cells and CD4 mean fluorescence intensity. The difference in the absolute number of DN T cells was most significant. The percentages of calculated DN (cDN) T cells and measured DN T cells showed a good correlation (r=0.921, P<10(-26)) in general but had lower correlation in the old age group. Two-color and three-color methods for DP T cells showed good correlation (r=0.916, P<10(-19)). Among the adult disease groups, cDN T cells were significantly low only in the old age group regardless of diseases (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In conventional T cell immunophenotyping in the old age group with diseases, some markers that seemed to be related to immunosenescence could be found. Additional further studies in healthy old age groups will be able to discriminate the relationship of theses markers to disease, age or immunosenescence. The significance of the decrease of DN T cells in immunosenescence needs to be elucidated.

Keyword

Immunosenescence; CD4-CD8- T cell; CD4+CD8+ T cell; CD4lo

MeSH Terms

Adult
Antibodies
Flow Cytometry
Fluorescence
Humans
Immunophenotyping*
T-Lymphocyte Subsets*
T-Lymphocytes
Antibodies