Characterization of influenza-specific T-cell immunity in Iraqi patients

Abed, Wurood K.; Al-Ardawi, Hassan F. H.; Nazar, Ahmed M. A.; Hasan, Thualfakar H.

doi:10.21608/mb.2025.402767.1372

Characterization of influenza-specific T-cell immunity in Iraqi patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Pathological Analyses, Faculty of Medical Science, Jabir Ibn Hayyan University for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Al-Najaf, Iraq.

² Department of Microbiology, Faculty of medicine, Jabir Ibn Hayyan University for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Al-Najaf, Iraq.

10.21608/mb.2025.402767.1372

Abstract

T cells play a crucial role in the cellular immune response, triggering the exclusion of viruses and the development of stable immunity within the host. Such longitudinal study examined the progress of influenza-specific cellular immunity within cohorts over a period of time. A total of 10 milliliters of blood was collected from participants over a three years period, conducted from January 2018 to December 2020, the study involved 200 random healthy adult who experienced comprehensive follow-up evaluation at six-month intervals. The participants were divided into two groups; 18 - 45 years and 46 - 65 years. The research focused on separating Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), while flow cytometry was employed to measure the frequencies of influenza-specific T cells. The study involved analysis for activation markers CD69 and CD107.The results indicated that participants aged 18-45 revealed significantly higher influenza-specific T cell frequencies compared to those aged 46-65 through all assessment periods (p < 0.01). The inconsistency in the levels of activation markers CD69 and CD107a on influenza-specific T cells remained elevated throughout the study period. The appearance results of the CD69 and CD107a markers from participants in the younger age group were statistically higher and more consistent compared to those observed in the older age group (p < 0.05).The results from T-cell surveillance indicated that there was a deviation in an immunological function between younger and older participants, attributed to the natural aging patterns of the immune system. The observed age-related immune differences suggest that tailored immunization Programme (TIP) may be required for older individuals. The study indicated that the expression of T-cell activation markers exhibited significant variability throughout cellular immune responses to influenza infections. These outcomes may reflect age-associated drop in cellular immune responsiveness, consistent with immunosenescence ideas.

Keywords