Plasmacytoid dendritic cells and their Toll-like receptor 9 expression selectively decrease with age

• Published in: Human immunology Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 493 - 497
• Main Authors: Garbe, Katharina, Bratke, Kai, Wagner, Stefanie, Virchow, Johann Christian, Lommatzsch, Marek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Allergy and Immunology; Antigens, CD - biosynthesis; Antigens, CD - immunology; Body Mass Index; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - cytology; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Dendritic Cells - metabolism; Female; Flow Cytometry; Gender; Gene Expression - immunology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myeloid Cells - cytology; Myeloid Cells - immunology; Myeloid Cells - metabolism; Toll-like receptor; Toll-Like Receptor 9 - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptor 9 - immunology; Body mass index; Gender; Dendritic cells; Age; Toll-like receptor
• ISSN: 0198-8859; 1879-1166
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2012.02.007

Abstract Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the initiation of immune responses against infectious particles and tumor cells; however, the impact of age, anthropometric parameters, and gender on the number and the expression of function-associated molecules of human DCs is poorly understood. In this study, blood DCs of 50 volunteers (19–84 years old) with no acute or chronic inflammatory diseases were examined using 4-color flow cytometry. Increasing age was associated with a decrease in blood plasmacytoid, but not myeloid DCs and a selective decrease in Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) expression by plasmacytoid DCs. In contrast, gender and body mass index did not impact the number of DC subsets or the expression of function-associated DC molecules. Thus, we demonstrate that age has a selective impact on plasmacytoid DCs and their TLR9 expression. This may contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections and tumors with increasing age.