Immune parameters in a longitudinal study of a very old population of Swedish people: a comparison between survivors and nonsurvivors

FG Ferguson, A Wikby, P Maxson… - The Journals of …, 1995 - academic.oup.com
FG Ferguson, A Wikby, P Maxson, J Olsson, B Johansson
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and …, 1995academic.oup.com
As a part of an ongoing longitudinal investigation, this study examined relationships
between survival and selected immune system parameters in a sample (n= 102) of very old
individuals (86–92 years at the time of initial immune system data collection). Analyses were
performed comparing initial time-point measurements from those individuals who were alive
(n= 75) and those who were deceased (n= 27) two years after initial data collection. Immune
system measurements consisted of determination of peripheral blood lymphocytes and …
Abstract
As a part of an ongoing longitudinal investigation, this study examined relationships between survival and selected immune system parameters in a sample (n = 102) of very old individuals (86–92 years at the time of initial immune system data collection). Analyses were performed comparing initial time-point measurements from those individuals who were alive (n = 75) and those who were deceased (n = 27) two years after initial data collection. Immune system measurements consisted of determination of peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets, as well as T-cell responses to activation by Concanavalin A. Cluster analysis identified a subgroup associated with nonsurvival which indicated characteristics that included: poor T-cell proliferative responses, high CD8 percentages, and low CD4 and CD19 percentages. This multivariate analysis suggested that combinations of immune system parameters predict twoyear survival otherwise not apparent when single immune system parameters were evaluated in the elderly.
Oxford University Press