Background: During organismal aging, human T-cells shift towards less functional phenotypes, often called senescent cells. As these cells have not been well characterized, we aimed to relate surface markers of human T-cell senescence with characteristics of in vitro cellular aging and to further characterize these cells.
Methods: We identified, by flow cytometry, subpopulations of CD8+ T-cells based on CD57 and CD28 expression, and tested them for some markers of cellular senescence, apoptosis, differentiation and homing.
Results: Elderly persons presented significantly higher proportions not only of CD28-CD57+, but also of CD28+CD57+ cells. CD28+CD57+ cells had the highest expression of p16, p21, Bcl-2, CD95, CD45RO, CCR5 and PD-1, thereby arguing in favor of a senescent phenotype.
Conclusion: Among CD8+ T-lymphocytes, CD28+CD57+ cells represent a subset with some senescent features that are distinct from the CD28-CD57+ cells.
Keywords: CD28; CD57; CXCR2; Cellular aging; p16; p21.
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