CD69, CD25, and HLA-DR activation antigen expression on CD3+ lymphocytes and relationship to serum TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and sIL-2R levels in aging

Aging is associated with changes in lymphocyte subsets and unexplained HLA- DR upregulation on T-lymphocytes. Wee further investigated this activation, by measuring early (CD69), middle (CD25), and late (HLA-DR) T-lymphocyte a ctivation markers on CD3+ lymphocytes, across subjects (20-100 years) toget her with serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gam ma), and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R). HLA-DR was present as a C D3 + HLA-DR + subset that constituted 8% of total lymphocytes, increased tw ofold with age and included CD4+, CD8+, and CD45RA+ phenotypes. HLA-DR was also expressed on a CD8+CD57+ subset. The CD3+CD25+ subset constituted 13% of lymphocytes, fell with age but was weakly associated with the CD3+HLA-DR + subset especially in older subjects. A small 3-5% CD3+CD69+ subsets showe d no age effect. Serum sIL-2R, TNF-alpha, but not IFN-gamma, were associate d with CD3+HLA-DR+ lymphocytes, TNF-alpha with CD8+CD57+ count and sIL-2R a nd IFN-gamma with the CD3+CD25+/CD3+CD4+ ratio. The study confirms age-rela ted upregulation of HLA-DR on CD3+ lymphocytes, shows some evidence for ass ociated upregulation of CD25 on CD3+ cells in older subjects, and links ser um TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma; and sIL2-R to T-lymphocyte activation. (C) 1999 El sevier Science Inc, All rights reserved.