Naslov
Downregulation of perforin expression in lymphocyte subsets in healthy old people

Autori
Rukavina, Daniel ; Rubeša, Gordana ; Laškarin, Gordana ; Bedenicki, Ivica ; Manestar, Darko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Annual meeting of the Croatian Immunological Society, Periodicum Biologorum 99 (1997), suppl. 2 / Vitale, Branko - Zagreb : Hrvatsko prirodoslovno društvo, 1997, 14-14

Skup
Annual meeting of the Croatian Immunological Society

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 06.11.1997. - 07.11.1997

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
perforin; cord blood lymphocytes; peripheral blood lymphocytes; childhood; ageing

Sažetak
The contribution of the immune system to healthy aging and longevity is still a controversial question. Absolute numbers of leukocytes decline progressively in old age, as do total lymphocytes, T, B, and NK cells, as well as the functional activity of CTL and NK cells. Both CTL and NK cells contain perforin (P) in their cytoplasmic granules that plays a crucial role in mediating target cell lysis. In this study a flow cytometric method for detecting perforin (an intracellular protein) and cell surface markers has been used to detect age-related changes in P expression in subpopulations of CTL (CD8+P+ and CD4+P+) and NK (CD56+P+ and CD16+P+) cells in the peripheral blood. Old persons were normal apparently healthy individuals living in an old people"s home, and were aged between 73 and 77 years. Levels of P expression in PBL (percentage of total P+ cells) were substantially lower in aged persons than in other control groups (men and women in the age between 20 and 34 years). The percentages of total T cells and CD8+ cells that were P+ were by far the lowest in old persons as were NK subpopulations of P+ cells. Perforin content per cell was by far the lowest levels in all subsets of PBL from old persons, which were many times lower than in other groups. Hence, the potential cytotoxic function of CTL and NK cells in elderly individuals would be compromised by reductions in both the proportions of P+ cells and in the mean amounts of perforin per cell in the remaining positive cells. This may have profound implications for antiviral and antitumor immunity in elderly persons. These investigations are financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia (Grant NO. 062001).

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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