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

Figures & data

Table 1. Differences between CD4/CD8 > 1 group and CD4/CD8 < 1 group.

Parameter	CD4/CD8		t/χ^2	p Value
	>1 (n = 54)	<1 (n = 39)
Age (year)	79.17 ± 8.96	84.21 ± 7.34	−2.975	0.004*
BMI (kg/m^2)	24.12 ± 3.49	23.06 ± 3.22	1.482	0.142
CMV-IgG positive (%)	54 (100.0%)	39 (100.0%)	–	–
CMV-IgM positive (%)	1 (1.9%)	1 (2.6%)	0.000	1.000
Sarcopenia (%)	11 (20.4%)	15 (38.5%)	3.680	0.055
Sarcopenic obesity (%)	6 (11.1%)	7 (17.9%)	0.880	0.348
Waist circumference (cm)	74.80 ± 4.95	74.35 ± 5.34	0.409	0.683
Frailty status (%)	22 (40.7%)	20 (51.3%)	1.016	0.313
Protein
Prealbumin (mg/L)	221.70 ± 71.72	191.10 ± 61.80	2.149	0.034*
Transferrin (g/L)	2.03 ± 0.36	1.96 ± 0.42	0.946	0.347
Albumin (g/L)	39.15 ± 4.31	37.82 ± 5.27	1.344	0.182
CD4/CD8 ratio	1.85 ± 1.16	0.68 ± 0.20	6.244	<0.001*
Percentages of subsets (%)
CD4^+/T cells	58.19 ± 9.50	38.03 ± 10.43	9.692	<0.001*
CD8^+/T cells	36.02 ± 7.58	56.46 ± 10.57	−10.866	<0.001*
CD4^+CD25^str+CD127^dim+ (Tregs)/T cells	7.033 ± 2.49	7.31 ± 2.23	−0.553	0.581
CD3^−CD56^+CD45^+ (NK)/Lymphocytes	24.55 ± 12.75	21.47 ± 12.87	1.146	0.255
T cells (CD3^+CD45^+)/Lymphocytes	60.89 ± 12.45	66.60 ± 15.23	−1.983	0.059
CD3^+CD28^+/T cells	72.12 ± 14.20	53.03 ± 16.24	6.022	<0.001*
CD4^+CD28^+/T cells	52.71 ± 9.79	32.40 ± 11.67	9.109	<0.001*
CD4^+CD28^−/T cells	6.73 ± 8.08	6.31 ± 4.57	0.323	0.748
CD8^+CD28^+/T cells	17.90 ± 7.04	19.86 ± 8.28	−1.231	0.222
CD8^+CD28^−/T cells	17.07 ± 8.46	34.70 ± 13.01	−7.913	<0.001*

* p Value < 0.05.

Tregs: regulatory T cells; NK: natural killer.

Table 2. Percent expression of lymphocyte subsets in elderly males categorized by their serum prealbumin levels.

Parameter	Prealbumin		t/χ^2	p Value
	>200 (n = 48)	<200 (n = 45)
Age (year)	78.83 ± 8.93	83.89 ± 7.60	−2.932	0.004*
BMI (kg/m^2)	24.13 ± 2.85	23.20 ± 3.88	1.326	0.188
CMV-IgG positive (%)	48 (100.0%)	45 (100.0%)	–	–
CMV-IgM positive (%)	1 (2.1%)	1 (2.2%)	0.000	1.000
Sarcopenia (%)	6 (12.5%)	20 (44.4%)	11.767	0.001*
Sarcopenic obesity (%)	3 (6.3%)	10 (22.2%)	4.928	0.026*
Waist circumference (cm)	75.20 ± 3.99	73.99 ± 6.04	1.145	0.255
Frailty status (%)	13 (27.1%)	29 (64.4%)	13.091	<0.001*
Protein
Prealbumin (mg/L)	261.81 ± 42.84	152.40 ± 41.19	12.539	<0.001*
Transferrin (g/L)	2.12 ± 0.35	1.88 ± 0.39	3.138	0.002*
Albumin (g/L)	41.03 ± 4.02	35.99 ± 4.06	6.016	<0.001*
CD4/CD8 ratio	1.60 ± 1.32	1.09 ± 0.59	2.379	0.019*
Percentages of subsets (%)
CD4^+/T cells	53.18 ± 13.42	46.06 ± 13.88	2.515	0.014*
CD8^+/T cells	40.39 ± 12.63	49.08 ± 13.06	−3.265	0.002*
CD4^+CD25^str+CD127^dim+ (Tregs)/T cells	7.32 ± 2.30	6.96 ± 2.46	0.726	0.469
CD3^−CD56^+CD45^+ (NK)/lymphocytes	23.04 ± 12.93	23.49 ± 12.85	−0.171	0.864
T cells (CD3^+CD45^+)/lymphocytes	62.55 ± 13.67	64.07 ± 14.25	−0.524	0.602
CD3^+CD28^+/T cells	69.19 ± 15.65	58.70 ± 18.40	2.965	0.004*
CD4^+CD28^+/T cells	47.93 ± 13.20	40.20 ± 15.09	2.635	0.010*
CD4^+CD28^−/T cells	6.68 ± 6.86	6.42 ± 6.82	0.181	0.857
CD8^+CD28^+/T cells	19.61 ± 6.86	17.77 ± 8.30	1.168	0.246
CD8^+CD28^−/T cells	20.32 ± 11.96	28.88 ± 14.18	1.168	0.002*

* p Value < 0.05.

Tregs: regulatory T cells; NK: natural killer.

Table 3. Percent expression of lymphocyte subsets in elderly males categorized by their serum transferrin levels.

Parameter	Transferrin		t/χ^2	p Value
	>2 (n = 50)	<2 (n = 43)
Age (year)	77.86 ± 8.42	85.26 ± 7.15	−4.527	<0.001*
BMI (kg/m^2)	24.29 ± 3.08	22.96 ± 3.65	1.919	0.058
CMV-IgG positive (%)	50 (100.0%)	43 (100.0%)	–	–
CMV-IgM positive (%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0.680	0.409
Sarcopenia (%)	8 (16.0%)	18 (41.9%)	7.676	0.006*
Sarcopenic obesity (%)	3 (6.0%)	10 (23.3%)	5.725	0.017*
Waist circumference (cm)	74.98 ± 4.42	74.18 ± 5.81	0.761	0.448
Frailty status (%)	16 (32.0%)	26 (60.5%)	7.564	0.006*
Protein
Prealbumin (mg/L)	228.52 ± 58.17	186.02 ± 74.23	3.093	0.003*
Transferrin (g/L)	2.29 ± 0.24	1.67 ± 0.21	13.390	<0.001*
Albumin (g/L)	41.22 ± 3.55	35.53 ± 4.13	7.146	<0.001*
CD4/CD8 ratio	1.63 ± 1.32	1.03 ± 0.49	2.818	0.006*
Percentages of subsets (%)
CD4^+/T cells	54.02 ± 13.43	44.75 ± 13.18	3.348	0.001*
CD8^+/T cells	40.71 ± 13.14	49.12 ± 12.59	−3.137	0.002*
CD4^+CD25^str+CD127^dim+ (Tregs)/T cells	7.23 ± 2.40	7.05 ± 2.36	0.360	0.720
CD3^−CD56^+CD45^+ (NK)/lymphocytes	21.64 ± 12.17	25.14 ± 13.44	−1.318	0.191
T cells (CD3^+CD45^+)/lymphocytes	63.76 ± 12.58	62.73 ± 15.43	0.354	0.724
CD3^+CD28^+/T cells	69.46 ± 14.64	57.90 ± 19.13	3.297	0.001*
CD4^+CD28^+/T cells	48.70 ± 13.37	38.95 ± 14.34	3.392	0.001*
CD4^+CD28^−/T cells	5.94 ± 6.67	7.26 ± 6.98	−0.932	0.354
CD8^+CD28^+/T cells	19.05 ± 7.22	18.34 ± 8.10	0.452	0.653
CD8^+CD28^−/T cells	20.36 ± 11.78	29.23 ± 14.36	−3.270	0.002*

* p Value < 0.05.

Tregs: regulatory T cells; NK: natural killer.

Table 4. Percent expression of lymphocyte subsets in elderly males categorized by their serum albumin levels.

Parameter	Albumin		t/χ^2	p Value
	>35 (n = 72)	<35 (n = 21)
Age (year)	79.79 ± 8.58	86.38 ± 6.87	−3.226	0.002*
BMI (kg/m^2)	23.94 ± 3.29	22.78 ± 3.69	1.383	0.170
CMV-IgG positive (%)	72 (100.0%)	21 (100.0%)	–	–
CMV-IgM positive (%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (4.8%)	0.007	0.934
Sarcopenia (%)	13 (18.1%)	13 (61.9%)	15.521	<0.001*
Sarcopenic obesity (%)	5 (6.9%)	8 (38.1%)	10.657	0.001*
Waist circumference (cm)	75.15 ± 5.01	72.76 ± 5.08	1.919	0.058
Frailty status (%)	28 (38.9%)	14 (66.7%)	5.065	0.024*
Protein
Prealbumin (mg/L)	225.14 ± 64.23	153.10 ± 55.52	4.654	<0.001*
Transferrin (g/L)	2.10 ± 0.34	1.68 ± 0.35	4.891	<0.001*
Albumin (g/L)	40.52 ± 3.36	32.00 ± 2.20	10.914	<0.001*
CD4/CD8 ratio	1.46 ± 1.15	1.01 ± 0.60	1.690	0.095
Percentages of subsets (%)
CD4^+/T cells	51.41 ± 13.40	44.00 ± 14.98	2.173	0.032*
CD8^+/T cells	42.82 ± 12.54	50.72 ± 15.12	−2.423	0.017*
CD4^+CD25^str+CD127^dim+ (Tregs)/T cells	7.17 ± 2.21	7.08 ± 2.92	0.137	0.892
CD3^−CD56^+CD45^+ (NK)/lymphocytes	23.10 ± 12.97	23.80 ± 12.61	−0.217	0.828
T cells (CD3^+CD45^+)/lymphocytes	63.39 ± 13.61	62.91 ± 15.21	0.139	0.890
CD3^+CD28^+/T cells	66.72 ± 16.37	55.19 ± 19.72	2.709	0.008*
CD4^+CD28^+/T cells	46.21 ± 13.22	37.29 ± 17.18	2.536	0.013*
CD4^+CD28^−/T cells	6.29 ± 6.50	7.47 ± 7.88	−0.701	0.485
CD8^+CD28^+/T cells	19.29 ± 7.72	16.79 ± 7.00	1.331	0.187
CD8^+CD28^−/T cells	22.55 ± 13.15	31.00 ± 13.83	−2.560	0.012*

* p Value < 0.05.

Tregs: regulatory T cells; NK: natural killer.

Figure 1. Correlation analysis between PEM and T-cell subsets. A–F) Correlation between PEM parameters (prealbumin, transferrin, and albumin) and CD4/CD8 ratio, proportions of CD4⁺ cells, CD8⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD28⁺ cells, CD4⁺CD28⁺ cells, and CD8⁺CD28⁻ cells. Red indicates prealbumin, blue indicates transferrin, and brown indicates albumin. PEM: protein energy malnutrition.

Figure 2. Correlation analysis between PEM and age. A–C) Correlation between PEM parameters (prealbumin, transferrin, and albumin) and age. Red indicates prealbumin, blue indicates transferrin, and brown indicates albumin. PEM: protein energy malnutrition.

Figure 3. Correlation analysis between age and proportions of T-cell subsets. A–F) Correlation between age and CD4/CD8 ratio, proportions of CD4⁺ cells, CD8⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD28⁺ cells, CD4⁺CD28⁺ cells, and CD8⁺CD28⁻ cells.

Figure 4. Correlation analysis between different PEM parameters with one another. A) Correlation between prealbumin and transferrin. B) Correlation between prealbumin and albumin. C) Correlation between transferrin and albumin.