Department of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Unit, Scientific Institute and Regional General Hospital Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, S.Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy.
J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2011 Jul-Sep;25(3):405-16.
The CD4+ T helper/inducer and the CD8+ T suppressor/cytotoxic are major lymphocyte subsets that play a key role in cell-mediated immunity. Aging-related changes of immune function have been demonstrated. The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamics of variation of these specific lymphocyte subsets in the elderly. In our study cortisol and melatonin serum levels were measured and lymphocyte subpopulation analyses were performed on blood samples collected every four hours for 24 hours from fifteen healthy young middle-aged subjects (age range 36-55 years) and fifteen healthy elderly male subjects (age range 67-79 years). A clear circadian rhythm was validated for the time-qualified changes of CD3+ and CD4+ cells with acrophase at night and for the time-qualified changes of CD8+ cells with acrophase at noon in young middle-aged subjects and for the time-qualified changes of CD3+ cells with acrophase at night and for the time-qualified changes of CD8+ cells with acrophase at noon in elderly subjects. No clear circadian rhythm was validated for the time-qualified changes of CD4+ cells in elderly subjects. No statistically significant correlation among lymphocyte subsets was found in elderly subjects. In elderly subjects CD3+ lymphocyte percentage was higher in the photoperiod and in the scotoperiod and cortisol serum level were higher in the scotoperiod in respect to young middle-aged subjects. In the elderly there is an alteration of circadian rhythmicity of T helper/inducer lymphocytes and this phenomenon might contribute to the aging-related changes of immune responses.
CD4+ T 辅助/诱导和 CD8+ T 抑制/细胞毒性是主要的淋巴细胞亚群，它们在细胞介导的免疫中起着关键作用。已经证明免疫功能的衰老相关变化。本研究的目的是分析这些特定淋巴细胞亚群在老年人中的变化动态。在我们的研究中，测量了皮质醇和褪黑素的血清水平，并对 15 名健康的中年年轻受试者（年龄范围 36-55 岁）和 15 名健康的老年男性受试者（年龄范围 67-79 岁）的血液样本进行了每四小时收集 24 小时的淋巴细胞亚群分析。在年轻的中年受试者中，CD3+和 CD4+细胞的时间定性变化以及 CD8+细胞的时间定性变化的峰值出现在夜间，CD3+细胞的时间定性变化以及 CD8+细胞的时间定性变化的峰值出现在中午，验证了明显的昼夜节律。在老年受试者中，CD4+细胞的时间定性变化没有验证明显的昼夜节律。在老年受试者中，淋巴细胞亚群之间没有发现统计学上显著的相关性。在老年受试者中，CD3+淋巴细胞百分比在光照期和暗期均较高，皮质醇血清水平在暗期较高，与年轻的中年受试者相比。在老年人中，T 辅助/诱导淋巴细胞的昼夜节律发生改变，这种现象可能导致与年龄相关的免疫反应变化。
