The association of prealbumin, transferrin, and albumin with immunosenescence among elderly males

Abstract

Objective

As people get older, the innate and acquired immunity of the elderly are affected, resulting in immunosenescence. Prealbumin (PAB), transferrin (TRF), and albumin (ALB) are commonly used markers to monitor protein energy malnutrition (PEM). However, their relationship with the immune system has not been fully explored.

Methods

In our study, a total of 93 subjects (≥65 years) were recruited from Tongji Hospital between January 2015 and February 2017. According to the serum levels of these proteins (PAB, TRF, and ALB), we divided the patients into the high serum protein group and the low serum protein group. Then, we compared the percent expression of lymphocyte subsets between two groups.

Results

All the low serum protein groups (PAB, TRF, and ALB) had significant decreases in the percentage of CD4+ cells, CD3⁺CD28⁺ cells, CD4⁺CD28⁺ cells and significant increases in the percentage of CD8⁺ cells, CD8⁺CD28⁻ cells. PAB, TRF, and ALB levels revealed positive correlations with CD4/CD8 ratio, proportions of CD4⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD28⁺ cells, CD4⁺CD28⁺ cells, and negative correlation with proportions of CD8⁺ cells, CD8⁺CD28⁻ cells.

Conclusions

This study suggested PAB, TRF, and ALB could be used as immunosenescence indicators. PEM might accelerate the process of immunosenescence in elderly males.

Keywords:

• Prealbumin
• transferrin
• albumin
• protein energy malnutrition
• immunosenescence

Ethical approval

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the ethical committee of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (protocol code TJ-C20141112 and 27 November 2014). All participants provided written informed consent. No experimental interventions were performed.

Author contributions

Conceptualization, XQQ, RDZ, and CTZ; methodology, SQJ, LR, FJY, and RDZ; formal analysis, SQJ and RDZ; data curation, SQJ, LR, FJY, and RDZ; writing-original draft preparation, RDZ, FJY, and SQJ; writing-review and editing, XQQ and CTZ; supervision, XQQ and CTZ; funding acquisition, XQQ and CTZ.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (JCYJ20230807151309019), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515220123), and National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFC2008000).