Advancing age leads to predominance of inhibitory receptor expressing CD4 T cells

Mech Ageing Dev. 2009 Oct;130(10):709-12. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2009.08.006. Epub 2009 Aug 26.

Abstract

Decline in CD4 T cell function is the hallmark of aging. In this study, we compared the proportion and absolute number of inhibitory receptor expressing splenic CD4 T cells in unprimed young (2 months) and aged (20 months) C57BL/6 mice. Our results showed a predominance of PD-1, ICOS and CTLA-4 expressing conventional and regulatory CD4 T cells in aged mice. Furthermore, the expression of these molecules was localized to memory but not naïve CD4 T cell subset. Since aging is associated with decline in naïve but accumulation of hyporesponsive memory phenotype (MP) CD4 T cell, we hypothesize that inhibitory receptors can account for the senescence noted in MP subset of CD4 T cell.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aging / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism
  • Antigens, Differentiation / metabolism
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / metabolism
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • Ctla4 protein, mouse
  • Icos protein, mouse
  • Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein
  • Pdcd1 protein, mouse
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor