Immune ageing in health and disease

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 300

Inclusion Criteria

Group 1: Healthy young donors
1. Having no chronic diseases
2. Healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
3. Not-frail according to frailty instruments (Fried)
4. Age 19-39 years
5. Being able to give informed consent;Group 2: Healthy intermediate-age donors
1. Having no chronic diseases
2. Healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
3. Not-frail according to frailty instruments (Fried)
4. Age 40-60 years
5. Being able to give informed consent;Group 3: Non-frail, SENIEUR elderly donors
1. Healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
2. Not-frail according to frailty instruments (Fried, TFI, GFI)
3. Age >= 60 years
4. Being able to give informed consent;Group 4: Non-frail, non-SENIEUR elderly donors
1. Not fully healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
2. Not-frail according to frailty instruments (Fried, TFI, GFI)
3. Age >= 60 years
4. Being able to give informed consent;Group 5: Low-Frail, non-SENIEUR elderly donors
1. Not fully healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
2. Low/intermediate frail according to frailty instruments (Fried, TFI, GFI)
3. Age >= 60 years
4. Being able to give informed consent;Group 6: High-Frail, non-SENIEUR elderly donors
1. Not healthy according to SENIEUR protocol
2. High or fully frail according to frailty instruments (Fried, TFI, GFI)
3. Age >= 60 years
4. Being able to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

In general:
1. No informed consent
2. Clinical signs of severe anaemia, or persons known to have anaemia defined as a hemoglobulin level of less than 6,0 g/dL
3. Pregnancy;Non-SENIEUR elderly donors
1. Disease that has been reported to influence the immune system (active infection, inflammatory disease, malignancy, dementia, alcohol or drug abuse)
2. Drugs that have been reported to influence the immune system (corticosteroids, other immuno suppressive therapy, vaccination in prior 4 weeks)

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Main study parameter/endpoint<br /><br>Which changes of T cell subsets (Th1/Tc1, Th2/Tc2, Th17/Tc17, regulatory T<br /><br>cells and senescent T cells) can be observed during healthy ageing versus<br /><br>unhealthy ageing. </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Secondary study parameters/endpoints (if applicable)<br /><br>Does the immune risk phenotype apply to unhealthy, frail elderly individuals<br /><br>rather than healthy, non-frail elderly individuals?<br /><br><br /><br>Is healthy ageing characterized by better maintenance of T cell function<br /><br>compared to unhealthy ageing?<br /><br><br /><br>Construct validity of GFI compared to TFI and Fried.<br /><br><br /><br><br /><br><br /><br>Other study parameters (if applicable)<br /><br>We will also determine the presence of HLA-DR4 and CMV/EBV status since these<br /><br>factors may influence ageing of the immune system. Biomarkers of inflamm-ageing<br /><br>will be assessed (such as crp and ESR and cytokine levels). </p><br>