Exceptional cognitive
and physical health in old age leaves immunological
fingerprint
October 24, 2011 –
Exceptional cognitive and physical function
in old age leaves a tell-tale immunologic
fingerprint, say researchers at the
University of Pittsburgh and Children's
Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Likewise,
older adults who have mild impairments bear
a distinct immunologic pattern, too,
according to findings published in
the Public Library of Science: One.
Old age is not synonymous with
impairment and disability, noted lead investigator Abbe
N. de Vallejo, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics
and immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine.
"Our study indicates that getting
older does not necessarily mean that the immune system
gets weaker, as many of us assumed," he said. "The
immune system is dynamic, and the changes it undergoes
over time very much influence function."
For the project, the team collected
blood samples from 140 participants who had been
followed in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) for
nearly two decades and were 78 to 94 years old. With
only two participants younger than 82, the average age
of the group was 86.
The team also gathered
information about the participants' health
and function, medical history and
hospitalizations, and self-rated health, and
assessed their cognitive and physical
function using standard tests.
Previous research has shown that
with age, immune cells called T-cells become more like
natural killer (NK) cells, which typically target tumor
cells and virus-infected cells, Dr. de Vallejo said. A
closer look in the new study shows that participants who
were most physically and cognitively resilient had a
dominant pattern of stimulatory NK receptors on the
T-cell surface, and that these unusual T-cells can be
activated directly through these NK receptors
independently of the conventional ones. The functionally
resilient elders also have a distinct profile of blood
proteins called cytokines that reflect an
immune-enhancing environment.
Conversely, the group that showed
mild health impairment had a dominant pattern of
inhibitory NK receptors on their T-cells, and they have
a cytokine profile indicating a pro-inflammatory
environment. Both of these immunologic features could
suggest a greater susceptibility to illness.
"These findings indicate that there
is remodeling or adaptation of the immune system as we
age that can be either protective or detrimental," Dr.
de Vallejo said. "Now we have an immunological
fingerprint that can identify individuals who are more
likely to stay physically and cognitively well."
He and his colleagues are now
studying factors, such as genetics or traits developed
during childhood that might influence the adaptation of
the immune system with advancing age.
###
The team includes Anne B. Newman,
M.D., professor and chair, Department of Epidemiology,
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health (GSPH), and director of the Center for Aging and
Population Health, as well as others from GSPH and the
Pitt School of Medicine. The study was funded by the
National Institutes of Health.
About the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine
As one of the nation's leading
academic centers for biomedical research, the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced
technology with basic science across a broad range of
disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power
of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven
mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates,
Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding
from the National Institutes of Health since 1997.
Likewise, the School of Medicine is
equally committed to advancing the quality and strength
of its medical and graduate education programs, for
which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to
training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and
creative scientists well-equipped to engage in
world-class research. The School of Medicine is the
academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with
the University to raise the standard of medical
excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as
a driving force behind the region's economy. For more
information about the School of Medicine, seewww.medschool.pitt.edu.
About Children's Hospital of
Pittsburgh of UPMC
Renowned for its outstanding
clinical services, research programs and medical
education, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC has
helped establish the standards of excellence in
pediatric care. From ambulatory care to transplantation
and cardiac care, talented and committed pediatric
experts care for infants, children and adolescents who
make more than 1 million visits to Children's and its
many neighborhood locations each year. Children's also
has been named consistently to several elite lists of
pediatric health care facilities, including ranking 8th
among children's hospitals and schools of medicine (FY
2010) in funding provided by the National Institutes of
Health, and is one of 11 pediatric hospitals in the
United States named to U.S. News & World Report's Honor
Roll of America's "Best Children's Hospitals" for
2011-2012.
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