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Thomas AL, Godarova A, Wayman JA, Miraldi ER, Hildeman DA, Chougnet CA. Accumulation of immune-suppressive CD4 + T cells in aging - tempering inflammaging at the expense of immunity. Semin Immunol 2023; 70:101836. [PMID: 37632992 PMCID: PMC10840872 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The 'immune risk profile' has been shown to predict mortality in the elderly, highlighting the need to better understand age-related immune dysfunction. While aging leads to many defects affecting all arms of the immune system, this review is focused on the accrual of immuno-suppressive CD4 + T cell populations, including FoxP3 + regulatory T cells, and subsets of IL-10-producing T follicular helper cells. New data suggest that such accumulations constitute feedback mechanisms to temper the ongoing progressive low-grade inflammation that develops with age, the so-called "inflammaging", and by doing so, how they have the potential to promote healthier aging. However, they also impair effector immune responses, notably to infections, or vaccines. These studies also reinforce the idea that the aged immune system should not be considered as a poorly functional version of the young one, but more as a dynamic system in which CD4 + T cells, and other immune/non-immune subsets, differentiate, interact with their milieu and function differently than in young hosts. A better understanding of these unique interactions is thus needed to improve effector immune responses in the elderly, while keeping inflammaging under control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Thomas
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA; Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alzbeta Godarova
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA
| | - Joseph A Wayman
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA
| | - Emily R Miraldi
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA; Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - David A Hildeman
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA; Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Claire A Chougnet
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45257, USA; Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Thomas AL, Wayman JA, Almanan M, Bejjani AT, Miraldi ER, Chougnet CA, Hildeman DA. Elevated CD153 Expression on Aged T Follicular Helper Cells is Vital for B cell Responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.533214. [PMID: 36993647 PMCID: PMC10055293 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.533214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Our recent data showed that an aberrant IL-10-producing T follicular helper population (Tfh10) accumulates dramatically with age and is associated with age-related declines in vaccine responsiveness. Through single cell gene expression and chromatin accessibility analysis of IL-10+ and IL-10- memory CD4+ T cells from young and aged mice, we identified increased expression of CD153 on aged Tfh and Tfh10 cells. Mechanistically, we linked inflammaging (increased IL-6 levels) to elevated CD153 expression of Tfh cells through c-Maf. Surprisingly, blockade of CD153 in aged mice significantly reduced their vaccine-driven antibody response, which was associated with decreased expression of ICOS on antigen-specific Tfh cells. Combined, these data show that an IL-6/c-Maf/CD153 circuit is critical for maintaining ICOS expression. Thus, although overall Tfh-mediated B cell responses are reduced in the context of vaccines and aging, our data suggest that elevated expression of CD153 on Tfh cells potentiates the remaining Tfh function in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Thomas
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Joseph A Wayman
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Maha Almanan
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Anthony T Bejjani
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Emily R Miraldi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Claire A Chougnet
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - David A Hildeman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Immunobiology of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Immunology Graduate Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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Varricchi G, Bencivenga L, Poto R, Pecoraro A, Shamji MH, Rengo G. The emerging role of T follicular helper (T FH) cells in aging: Influence on the immune frailty. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 61:101071. [PMID: 32344191 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The world population is undergoing a rapid expansion of older adults. Aging is associated with numerous changes that affect all organs and systems, including every component of the immune system. Immunosenescence is a multifaceted process characterized by poor response to vaccine and higher incidence of bacterial and viral infections, cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Immunosenescence has been associated with chronic low-grade inflammation referred to as inflammaging, whose underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated, including age-related changes affecting components of the innate and adaptive immune system. T follicular helper (TFH) cells, present in lymphoid organs and in peripheral blood, are specialized in providing cognate help to B cells and are required for the production of immunoglobulins. Several subsets of TFH cells have been identified in humans and mice and modifications in TFH cell phenotype and function progressively occur with age. Dysfunctional TFH cells play a role in cancer, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases, all conditions particularly prevalent in elderly subjects. A specialized population of Treg cells, named T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells, present in lymphoid organs and in peripheral blood, exerts opposing roles to TFH cells in regulating immunity. Indeed, changes in TFH/TFR cell ratio constitute a relevant feature of aging. Herein we discuss the cellular and molecular changes in both TFH cells and TFR cells that occur in aging and recent findings suggesting that TFH cells and/or their subsets could be involved in atherosclerosis, cancer, and autoimmunity.
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Richner JM, Gmyrek GB, Govero J, Tu Y, van der Windt GJW, Metcalf TU, Haddad EK, Textor J, Miller MJ, Diamond MS. Age-Dependent Cell Trafficking Defects in Draining Lymph Nodes Impair Adaptive Immunity and Control of West Nile Virus Infection. PLoS Pathog 2015. [PMID: 26204259 PMCID: PMC4512688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired immune responses in the elderly lead to reduced vaccine efficacy and increased susceptibility to viral infections. Although several groups have documented age-dependent defects in adaptive immune priming, the deficits that occur prior to antigen encounter remain largely unexplored. Herein, we identify novel mechanisms for compromised adaptive immunity that occurs with aging in the context of infection with West Nile virus (WNV), an encephalitic flavivirus that preferentially causes disease in the elderly. An impaired IgM and IgG response and enhanced vulnerability to WNV infection during aging was linked to delayed germinal center formation in the draining lymph node (DLN). Adoptive transfer studies and two-photon intravital microscopy revealed a decreased trafficking capacity of donor naïve CD4+ T cells from old mice, which manifested as impaired T cell diapedesis at high endothelial venules and reduced cell motility within DLN prior to antigen encounter. Furthermore, leukocyte accumulation in the DLN within the first few days of WNV infection or antigen-adjuvant administration was diminished more generally in old mice and associated with a second aging-related defect in local cytokine and chemokine production. Thus, age-dependent cell-intrinsic and environmental defects in the DLN result in delayed immune cell recruitment and antigen recognition. These deficits compromise priming of early adaptive immune responses and likely contribute to the susceptibility of old animals to acute WNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Richner
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Grzegorz B. Gmyrek
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Govero
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Yizheng Tu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Gerritje J. W. van der Windt
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Talibah U. Metcalf
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida, Port St. Lucie, Florida, United States of America
| | - Elias K. Haddad
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida, Port St. Lucie, Florida, United States of America
| | - Johannes Textor
- Department of Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mark J. Miller
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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George VK, Pallikkuth S, Parmigiani A, Alcaide M, Fischl M, Arheart KL, Pahwa S. HIV infection Worsens Age-Associated Defects in Antibody Responses to Influenza Vaccine. J Infect Dis 2015; 211:1959-68. [PMID: 25556252 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibody responses to seasonal influenza vaccines are defective during older age and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The effect of HIV on immune function in aging is relatively unknown. METHODS HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected young women (age, 19-54 years) and older women (age, >55 years) were evaluated for B-cell and T-cell responses before and 4 weeks after influenza vaccination. RESULTS Frequencies of seroprotection pre-vaccination and vaccine responsiveness (≥4-fold increase in antibody titer) were lower in HIV-infected participants than in age-matched HIV-uninfected participants. A subgroup of vaccine nonresponders were compared to responders and found to have reduced frequencies of memory B cells and antigen-specific antibody-secreting cells after vaccination. Frequencies of peripheral T-follicular helper (pTfh) cells correlated with memory B-cell function and influenza A(H1N1) antibody titers. Serologic and immunologic deficits were most frequent in older HIV-infected participants. Underlying CD4(+) T-cell immune activation and inflammation correlated negatively with antibody titers and B-cell function, which was not enhanced by exogenous interleukin 21 supplementation in HIV-infected, older vaccine nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS Immune activation associated with HIV infection and impaired pTfh function heighten deficiencies in antibody responses to influenza vaccine in older individuals. Strategies to reduce immune activation or augment pTfh function may enhance antibody responses in the aging HIV-infected population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kristopher L Arheart
- Division of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health Department, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Florida
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Linterman MA. How T follicular helper cells and the germinal centre response change with age. Immunol Cell Biol 2013; 92:72-9. [PMID: 24217812 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2013.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Normal ageing is accompanied by a decline in the function of the immune system that causes an increased susceptibility to infections and an impaired response to vaccination in older individuals. This results in an increased disease burden in the aged population, even with good immunisation programmes in place. The decreased response to vaccination is partly due to the diminution of the germinal centre response with age, caused by impaired T-cell help to B cells. Within the germinal centre, T-cell help is provided by a specialised subset of CD4(+) T cells; T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Tfh cells provide survival and selection signals to germinal centre B cells, allowing them to egress from the germinal centre and become long-live plasma cells or memory B cells, and provide life-long protection against subsequent infection. This review will discuss the cellular and molecular changes in both Tfh cells and germinal centre B cells that occur with advancing age, which result in a smaller germinal centre response and a less effective response to immunisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Linterman
- Lymphocyte signalling and development, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
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Perkey E, Fingar D, Miller RA, Garcia GG. Increased mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 signaling promotes age-related decline in CD4 T cell signaling and function. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:4648-55. [PMID: 24078700 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
CD4 T cell function declines significantly during aging. Although the mammalian target of rapamycin (TOR) has been implicated in aging, the roles of the TOR complexes (TORC1, TORC2) in the functional declines of CD4 T cells remain unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that aging increases TORC2 signaling in murine CD4 T cells, a change blocked by long-term exposure to rapamycin, suggesting that functional defects may be the result of enhanced TORC2 function. Using overexpression of Rheb to activate TORC1 and Rictor plus Sin1 to augment TORC2 in naive CD4 T cells from young mice, we demonstrated that increased TORC2, but not TORC1, signaling results in aging-associated biochemical changes. Furthermore, elevated TORC2 signaling in naive CD4 T cells from young mice leads to in vivo functional declines. The data presented in this article suggest a novel model in which aging increases TORC2 signaling and leads to CD4 T cell defects in old mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Perkey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Reichenbach DK, Finn OJ. Early in vivo signaling profiles in MUC1-specific CD4 + T cells responding to two different MUC1-targeting vaccines in two different microenvironments. Oncoimmunology 2013; 2:e23429. [PMID: 23802084 PMCID: PMC3661169 DOI: 10.4161/onci.23429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are beginning to be explored for as measures to prevent cancer. Since determining the efficacy of vaccines by evaluating disease outcome requires a long time, there is an urgent need for early predictive biomarkers. To this end, immunological endpoints that can be assessed weeks or months post-vaccination are currently being evaluated. However, when multiple vaccines are available, waiting for the development of humoral and cellular immunity could still cause delays, whereas early assessments would allow for a timely shift to more effective prevention modalities. Applying the phospho-flow technique to primary T cells, we examined the phosphorylation status of various proteins that shape the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of mucin 1 (MUC1)-specific CD4+ T cells within the first 24 hours post-immunization. It is known that a vaccine composed of a MUC1-derived peptide loaded on dendritic cells is more effective in eliciting T-cell responses than a vaccine including the same peptide plus an adjuvant. Both these vaccines stimulate T cells more effectively in wild-type (WT) than in MUC1-transgenic mice. We examined if the signaling events downstream of the TCR or linked to various proliferative and survival pathways, monitored in two different hosts as early as 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours post-immunization, could predict the differential potential of these two MUC1-targeting vaccines. The signaling signatures that we obtained primarily reflect differences between the vaccines rather than between the hosts. We demonstrate the feasibility of using a phospho-flow-based approach to evaluate the potential of a given vaccine to elicit a desired immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn K. Reichenbach
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Department of Immunology; Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Olivera J. Finn
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Department of Immunology; Pittsburgh, PA USA
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