Department of Internal Medicine, Scientific Institute and Regional General Hospital Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, S. Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy.
Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2010 Jan-Mar;23(1):289-96. doi: 10.1177/039463201002300127.
A number of age-related changes in the 24-hour hormonal and non-hormonal rhythms have been found in older human beings. Lymphocyte subpopulations present circadian variation of some of their subsets and this variation may influence magnitude and expression of the immune responses. Numerous interactions exist among the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, mediated by neurotransmitters, hormones and cytokines. The aim of this study is to evaluate circadian variations of some endocrine and immune factors in older adults. Cortisol and melatonin serum levels were measured and lymphocyte subpopulation analyses were performed on blood samples collected every four hours for 24 hours from ten healthy young and middle-aged subjects and from ten healthy elderly subjects. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in the observed values of CD20 (higher in young and middle-aged subjects) and CD25 and DR+ T cells (higher in elderly subjects). In the group of young and middle-aged subjects a clear circadian rhythm was validated for the time-qualified changes of all the factors studied. In the group of elderly subjects a number of rhythms were absent or altered. The results of the current study show that aging is associated with enhanced responsiveness of T cell compartment and alterations of circadian rhythmicity.
多项研究发现，老年人的 24 小时激素和非激素节律存在与年龄相关的变化。淋巴细胞亚群的某些亚群存在昼夜节律变化，这种变化可能会影响免疫反应的强度和表达。神经、内分泌和免疫系统之间存在着许多相互作用，由神经递质、激素和细胞因子介导。本研究旨在评估老年人内分泌和免疫因子的昼夜变化。对 10 名健康的中青年和 10 名健康老年人的血液样本进行了每 4 小时采集 24 小时的血清皮质醇和褪黑素水平测量以及淋巴细胞亚群分析。在观察到的 CD20（中青年组中更高）和 CD25 和 DR+T 细胞（老年组中更高）值方面，两组之间存在统计学差异。在中青年组中，所有研究因素的时间定性变化均验证了明确的昼夜节律。在老年组中，一些节律缺失或改变。本研究结果表明，衰老与 T 细胞区室的增强反应性和昼夜节律变化有关。
