Senescent phenotypes and telomere lengths of peripheral blood T-cells mobilized by acute exercise in humans

Exerc Immunol Rev. 2010:16:40-55.

Abstract

Acute bouts of aerobic exercise are known to mobilize antigen-experienced CD8+ T-cells expressing the cell surface marker of senescence, KLRG1, into the blood. It is not known; however if this is due to a selective mobilization of terminally differentiated T-cells (i.e., KLRG1 +/CD28-/CD57+) or a population of effector memory T-cells (i.e., KLRG1+/CD28+/CD57-) that have not reached terminal differentiation. The aim of this study was to further characterize KLRG1 + T-cells mobilized by acute exercise by assessing the co-expression of KLRG1 with CD28 or CD57 and to determine telomere lengths in the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets. Nine moderately trained male subjects completed an exhaustive treadmill running protocol at 80%. Blood lymphocytes isolated before, immediately after and 1h after exercise were labelled with antibodies against KLRG1, CD28 or CD57, CD4 or CD8 and CD3 for 4-color flow cytometry analysis. Telomere lengths in CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were determined using Q-PCR. The relative proportion of KLRG1 + cells among the CD8+ T-cells increased by 40% immediately after exercise, returning to baseline 1h later. This was due to a mobilization of KLRG1+/CD28- (61% increase), KLRG1+/CD57+ (56% increase) and to a lesser extent, KLRG1+/CD57- cells (24% increase). Telomeres in CD8+ T-cells displayed an increased relative length immediately after exercise, whereas no change occurred for CD4+ or the overall CD3+ T-cells. In conclusion, the increased frequency of KLRG1 +/CD8+ T-cells in blood after acute exercise is predominantly due to a selective mobilization of terminally differentiated T-cells. The increased relative telomere length in CD8+ T-cells after exercise might indicate that KLRG1+ cells mobilized by exercise are under stress or aberrant signaling-induced senescence (STASIS). We postulate that a frequent mobilization of these cells by acute exercise might eventually allow naïve T-cells to occupy the "vacant" immune space and increase the naïve T-cell repertoire.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cell Movement / immunology*
  • Cell Separation
  • Cellular Senescence / immunology*
  • Exercise*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Lectins, C-Type / biosynthesis
  • Lectins, C-Type / immunology
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Telomere / immunology
  • Telomere / metabolism*
  • Trans-Activators / biosynthesis
  • Trans-Activators / immunology

Substances

  • KLRG1 protein, human
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • Trans-Activators