BACKGROUND: The challenge of immune senescence has never been addressed in elderly cancer patients. This study compares the thymic output and peripheral blood telomere length in ≥70year old cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two elderly cancer patients and 39 age-matched controls without personal history of cancer were enrolled. All patients underwent a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), from which a multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) score was calculated. Peripheral blood samples were studied for naïve and recent thymic emigrant (RTE) CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells by flow cytometry. T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circle (TREC) levels, telomere length and telomerase activity in peripheral blood cells were quantified by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The percentages of CD8(+) naïve and CD8(+) RTE cells and TREC levels were significantly lower in cancer patients than in controls (p=0.003, p=0.004, p=0.031, respectively). Telomere lengths in peripheral blood cells were significantly shorter in cancer patients than in controls (p=0.046) and did not correlate with age in patients, whereas it did in controls (r=-0.354, p=0.031). Short telomere (≤median)/low TREC (≤median) profile was associated with higher risk of cancer (OR=3.68 [95% CI 1.22-11.11]; p=0.021). Neither unfitness on CGA nor MPI score were significantly related to thymic output or telomere length in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Immune senescence is significantly worse in elderly cancer patients than in age-matched controls. The low thymic output and the shorter telomeres in peripheral blood cells of cancer patients may reflect a pre-existing condition which facilitates the onset of malignancies in elderly people.
BACKGROUND: The challenge of immune senescence has never been addressed in elderly cancerpatients. This study compares the thymic output and peripheral blood telomere length in ≥70year old cancerpatients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two elderly cancerpatients and 39 age-matched controls without personal history of cancer were enrolled. All patients underwent a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), from which a multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) score was calculated. Peripheral blood samples were studied for naïve and recent thymic emigrant (RTE) CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells by flow cytometry. T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circle (TREC) levels, telomere length and telomerase activity in peripheral blood cells were quantified by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The percentages of CD8(+) naïve and CD8(+) RTE cells and TREC levels were significantly lower in cancerpatients than in controls (p=0.003, p=0.004, p=0.031, respectively). Telomere lengths in peripheral blood cells were significantly shorter in cancerpatients than in controls (p=0.046) and did not correlate with age in patients, whereas it did in controls (r=-0.354, p=0.031). Short telomere (≤median)/low TREC (≤median) profile was associated with higher risk of cancer (OR=3.68 [95% CI 1.22-11.11]; p=0.021). Neither unfitness on CGA nor MPI score were significantly related to thymic output or telomere length in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Immune senescence is significantly worse in elderly cancerpatients than in age-matched controls. The low thymic output and the shorter telomeres in peripheral blood cells of cancerpatients may reflect a pre-existing condition which facilitates the onset of malignancies in elderly people.
Authors: Maria Raffaella Petrara; Sarah Shalaby; Elena Ruffoni; Martina Taborelli; Francesco Carmona; Silvia Giunco; Paola Del Bianco; Pierluca Piselli; Diego Serraino; Umberto Cillo; Riccardo Dolcetti; Patrizia Burra; Anita De Rossi Journal: Front Oncol Date: 2022-06-13 Impact factor: 5.738
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Authors: Aiqing Chen; Arthur E Oakley; Maria Monteiro; Katri Tuomela; Louise M Allan; Elizabeta B Mukaetova-Ladinska; John T O'Brien; Raj N Kalaria Journal: Neurobiol Aging Date: 2015-10-30 Impact factor: 4.673