Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk, Russia.
Kemerovo State Medical University, Kemerovo, Russia.
Immunol Lett. 2020 Oct;226:83-89. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.07.004. Epub 2020 Jul 24.
An upward trend in life expectancy has been observed in a majority of developed countries and leading to increasing in aging-related diseases. Aging is a risk factor for the development of widespread clinical conditions such as cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, cancer, infections. Although studies have been very active, the problem of aging still remains one of the most obscure aspects of human biology. Regulatory T (Treg) cells with immunosuppressive properties have a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Alterations in Treg cell functionality appear to be of great importance in the development of immune senescence and contribute to increased susceptibility to immune-mediated diseases with age.
This review highlights recent findings regarding the age-related changes in the numbers and functional activity of human Tregs. Some of the mechanisms that maintain the balance of Tregs during human aging are discussed. The possible roles of Tregs in the pathogenesis of diseases associated with advanced age are also considered.
Age-related systemic changes, such as thymic involution, hormonal status, and epigenetic modifications, may affect the state of the Treg population and trigger various diseases. These changes involve decline or amplification in the functional activity of Tregs, an increase in the memory Treg subset and shifting of a Th17/Treg balance.
Taken together, the reviewed data suggest equal or even increased Treg functionality with age. Thus, age-mediated Treg expansion and higher Treg activity may contribute to elevated immune suppression and increased risk of infections and cancer.
在大多数发达国家，人们的预期寿命呈上升趋势，这导致与衰老相关的疾病不断增加。衰老是发展广泛的临床疾病（如心血管和自身免疫性疾病、癌症、感染）的一个风险因素。尽管研究非常活跃，但衰老问题仍然是人类生物学中最模糊的方面之一。具有免疫抑制特性的调节性 T（Treg）细胞在维持免疫稳态方面起着关键作用。Treg 细胞功能的改变似乎在免疫衰老的发展中非常重要，并导致随着年龄的增长对免疫介导的疾病的易感性增加。
这篇综述强调了最近关于人类 Treg 细胞数量和功能活性与年龄相关变化的发现。讨论了在人类衰老过程中维持 Treg 平衡的一些机制。还考虑了 Treg 在与高龄相关的疾病发病机制中的可能作用。
与年龄相关的全身变化，如胸腺萎缩、激素状态和表观遗传修饰，可能会影响 Treg 群体的状态并引发各种疾病。这些变化涉及 Treg 功能活性的下降或放大、记忆性 Treg 亚群的增加以及 Th17/Treg 平衡的转移。
综上所述，所审查的数据表明 Treg 的功能与年龄相当，甚至更高。因此，年龄介导的 Treg 扩增和更高的 Treg 活性可能有助于增强免疫抑制作用，并增加感染和癌症的风险。
