Abstract
Ageing is associated with a decline in immune competence termed immunosenescence. In the elderly, this process results in an accumulation of differentiated 'effector' phenotype memory T cells, predominantly driven by Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Here, we asked whether CMV also drives immunity towards a senescent profile in healthy young adults. One hundred and fifty-eight individuals (mean ± SD; age 21 ± 3 years, body mass index 22.7 ± 2.7 kg m(2)) were assessed for CMV serostatus, the numbers/proportions of CD4(+) and CD8(+) late differentiated/effector memory cells (i.e. CD27(-)CD28(-)/CD45RA(+)), plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and antibody responses to an in vivo antigen challenge (half-dose influenza vaccine). Thirty percent (48/158) of participants were CMV(+). A higher lymphocyte and CD8(+) count (both p
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 287-297 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Age |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 12 Jul 2013 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2014 |