Morphologically and functionally intact dendritic cells can be derived from the peripheral blood of aged individuals

Abstract

SUMMARYDendritic cells are antigen-presenting cells (APC), which are crucial for the initiation of an immune response. In spite of the well known decline of immune function in old age, no information is yet available on whether dendritic cells are also affected by the ageing process. It was therefore the aim of this study to compare peripheral blood dendritic cells (DC) from old and young healthy individuals. Using granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-4, DC were propagated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The obtained cell populations had a typical dendritic morphology and expressed HLA class I and class II, CD23, CD32, CD40, CD44 and CD54, but not CD3 and CD19. Larger numbers of DC were obtained from old individuals than from young ones in spite of a similar expression pattern of surface molecules. DC from aged persons also survived better under in vitro culture conditions. When tested for their antigen-presenting capacity, DC from young and old individuals were equally effective in inducing the proliferation of tetanus toxoid-specific T cell clones after antigenic stimulation. Peripheral blood DC from aged individuals may thus still function as powerful APC. They may represent useful tools for immunotherapy in the aged.

Dendritic cells in human aging

“…The MODCs population obtained from aging monocytes displays a typical DC morphology and expresses DC surface markers, such as HLA class II, CD1a, CD11c, CD54, CD80 and CD86, but not CD14. Our observations are in agreement to data of MODCs reported by Lung et al (2000) and Steger et al (1996). Linton et al (2005), using a T cell receptor transgenic mice model, also observed normal immunophenotype of DCs in vivo in aged mice.…”

“…Szakal et al (2002) reported that in vivo age-related defects in B cell stimulation via the B cell receptor and co-stimulation via CD21/CD21L are related to immune complex-trapping by follicular DCs. Whereas other studies have described no change or even an enhancement (Steger et al, 1996). The conflicting results may be due to different subsets of DCs used (LCs versus myeloid DC versus FDC) and species differences (man versus mouse).…”

Nutrition, diet and immunosenescence

“…Some of this conflicting data may be attributed to using the SENIEUR protocol for recruitment of subjects. Investigations of monocyte derived DCs (MODCs) have found that DCs subsets are similar in aged and young subjects (Lung et al, 2000;Steger et al, 1996). This variation in opinion regarding changes in numbers of DC subsets with age may reflect differences in experimental protocols and the number of subjects recruited in the different studies (Jing et al, 2009).…”

Effect of aging and oral tolerance on dendritic cell function

“…There are reports indicating that DC derived from the peripheral blood of humans do not show significant phenotype or functional alterations with aging (13). On the other hand, DC differentiated in vitro from precursors obtained from the bone marrow of old mice show an increased secretion of IL-10 and a reduced secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-6 after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide compared to the DC obtained from young mice (14).…”