In:
ASN Neuro, SAGE Publications, Vol. 13 ( 2021-01), p. 175909142110181-
Abstract:
One hallmark of human aging is increased brain inflammation represented by glial activation. With age, there is also diminished function of the adaptive immune system, and modest decreases in circulating B- and T-lymphocytes. Lymphocytes traffic through the human brain and reside there in small numbers, but it is unknown how this changes with age. Thus we investigated whether B- and T-lymphocyte numbers change with age in the normal human brain. We examined 16 human subjects in a pilot study and then 40 human subjects from a single brain bank, ranging in age from 44–96 years old, using rigorous criteria for defining neuropathological changes due to age alone. We immunostained post-mortem cortical tissue for B- and T-lymphocytes using antibodies to CD20 and CD3, respectively. We quantified cell density and made a qualitative assessment of cell location in cortical brain sections, and reviewed prior studies. We report that density and location of both B- and T-lymphocytes do not change with age in the normal human cortex. Solitary B-lymphocytes were found equally in intravascular, perivascular, and parenchymal locations, while T-lymphocytes appeared primarily in perivascular clusters. Thus, any change in number or location of lymphocytes in an aging brain may indicate disease rather than normal aging.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1759-0914
,
1759-0914
DOI:
10.1177/17590914211018117
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2485467-0
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