Immunocytes Rapid Responses Post-ischemic Stroke in Peripheral Blood in Patients With Different Ages

Haiyue Zhang; Jingwei Guan; Hangil Lee; Chuanjie Wu; Kai Dong; Zongjian Liu; Lili Cui; Haiqing Song; Yuchuan Ding; Ran Meng

doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.887526

Immunocytes Rapid Responses Post-ischemic Stroke in Peripheral Blood in Patients With Different Ages

Front Neurol. 2022 May 13:13:887526. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.887526. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Haiyue Zhang¹, Jingwei Guan¹, Hangil Lee², Chuanjie Wu¹, Kai Dong¹, Zongjian Liu³, Lili Cui¹, Haiqing Song¹, Yuchuan Ding², Ran Meng^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Advanced Center of Stroke, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the alterations in immune cell composition in peripheral blood in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) based on their age group.

Methods: Patients with imaging confirmed AIS were enrolled from April 2019 to January 2020 and were divided into three groups according to their ages: <55 years (group-A), 55-65 years (group-B), and >65 years (group-C). Blood samples were collected immediately when the patients were admitted to our ward prior to any intervention. Flow cytometry was used to analyze immune cell composition in peripheral blood.

Results: A total of 41 eligible patients were included for final analysis. Among the three groups, the proportions of CD56⁺ CD16dim NK cells were least to greatest in group-B, group-A, then group-C, respectively. With increasing age, there was a decrease in the proportion of CD3⁺ T-cells (group-A vs. group-C, P = 0.016) and CD3+CD4+ T-cells (group-C vs. group-A, P = 0.008; group-C vs. group-B P = 0.026). Meanwhile, no significant differences in proportions of monocytes and B cells were observed.

Conclusions: The compositions of immune cells in peripheral blood of AIS patients were distinct when divided by age groups. Differences in immune cell ratios may affect clinical outcomes and foreshadows possible need for customized treatment of AIS in different age groups.

Keywords: NK cells; T cells; acute ischemic stroke; age; immune cells.