Changes in the subgroups and surface markers of dendritic cells from aged people

Objective Dendritic cells(DC) play an important role in the initiation of immunologic response.This study aims to investigate the changes in the subgroups and surface markers of DCs derived from the peripheral blood of the aged people. MethodsMononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of 30 aged people(≥80 yr) and 30 elderly controls(60-70 yr) and cultured with hGM-CSF and hIL-4 for a week to obtain DCs.The percentages of the subgroups of DCs(DC1 and DC2) in the leukocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Changes in the DC surface markers CD1a,HLA-DR,CD80(B7-1),CD86(B7-2),CD40,CCR-7 and CD209 of the aged people were observed and compared with those of the elderly controls.Results Both the percentage of DC1 in the peripheral blood leukocytes and the DC1/DC2 ratio were lower in the aged group than in the elderly controls,and so were the rate of the CD1a positive cells and the expressions of the DC CD40,CD80,CD86 and CD209 molecules.Conclusion The subgroups of DCs and their surface markers undergo changes with aging,which may be involved in the pathogenesis of immune senescence.