Deciphering Immunosenescence From Child to Frailty: Transcriptional Changes, Inflammation Dynamics, and Adaptive Immune Alterations.

Abstract

Aging induces significant alterations in the immune system, with immunosenescence contributing to age-related diseases. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) offer a convenient and comprehensive snapshot of the body's immune status. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of PBMCs using both bulk-cell and single-cell RNA-seq data, spanning from children to frail elderlies, to investigate age-related changes. We observed dynamic changes in the PBMC transcriptome during healthy aging, including dramatic shifts in inflammation, myeloid cells, and lymphocyte features during early life, followed by relative stability in later stages. Conversely, frail elderly individuals exhibited notable disruptions in peripheral immune cells, including an increased senescent phenotype in monocytes with elevated inflammatory cytokine expression, heightened effector activation in regulatory T cells, and functional impairment of cytotoxic lymphocytes. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of immunosenescence, elucidating the mechanisms driving abnormal inflammation and immunosuppression in frailty.