Sicilian centenarian offspring are more resistant to immune ageing

• Published in: Aging clinical and experimental research Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 125 - 133
• Main Authors: Rubino, Graziella, Bulati, Matteo, Aiello, Anna, Aprile, Stefano, Gambino, Caterina Maria, Gervasi, Francesco, Caruso, Calogero, Accardi, Giulia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Centenarians; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Lymphocytes; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oldest old people; Original Article; Flow cytometry; Inflammation; Immune senescence; Centenarians; Ageing
• ISSN: 1720-8319; 1594-0667; 1720-8319
• DOI: 10.1007/s40520-018-0936-7

Background Immunosenescence constitutes a major indirect cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Previous analysis of immune signatures in a cohort of centenarian offspring showed an intermediate immunophenotype between age-matched and younger controls. Aims To confirm and extend the previous studies performing further phenotypical analysis in centenarian offspring and controls. Methods Analysis of Treg cells, γδ T cells, mucosal-associated invariant T cells, and senescent immune T cells was performed in centenarian offspring and controls. Results We report significant differences between elderly and centenarian offspring in most of the studied subsets, showing that centenarian offspring subsets present an intermediate phenotyping between elderly and younger people. Conclusion The whole present data confirm and extend the previous results showing that centenarian offspring retain more youthful immunological parameters and that the exhaustion of the immune system is less evident than in elderly without centenarian parents, though further investigations are warranted.