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Aged Environment Impairs Specific CD8 T Cell Response to Viral Infection
Author(s) -
Jiang Jiu,
Bennett Andrew J.,
Murasko Donna M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.855.9
Subject(s) - cd8 , adoptive cell transfer , priming (agriculture) , immune system , biology , cytotoxic t cell , immunology , virus , t cell , virology , in vitro , biochemistry , botany , germination
It is well known that the immune response is diminished with aging. However, the mechanisms are still largely unclear. In this study, we have shown that the lymphoid microenvironment of the aged mouse inhibits Ag‐specific CD8 T cell response to virus infection. First, the specific CD8 T cell response to virus infection was delayed and decreased in the aged mice. Second, using adoptive transfer of virus specific transgenic CD8 T cells, we demonstrate that the aged environment inhibited the clonal proliferation and expansion of the specific CD8 T cells during virus infection. Third, a component of the microenvironment influencing CD8 T cells expansion appears to be IFN‐I. Not only is generation of functional IFN‐I in serum lower in aged than in young mice after virus infection, but antibody to IFN‐I inhibited specific CD8 T cell response to virus in young, but not aged, mice. Lastly, while the function of DCs of aged appears intact, there is a decreased number of DCs in aged mice resulting in poor priming of the Ag‐specific CD8 T cell response. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that elements of the aged environment, such as cytokines and APCs, play important roles in the alteration of specific CD8 T cell responses to virus infection. This work was supported by National Institute of Health Grant AG14913 to D.M.M.