Abstract
The human adaptive immune system is learning throughout lifetime, which is associated with extensive alterations in the absolute numbers and cellular compositions of the lymphocyte compartment and dynamic changes in adaptive immune receptor repertoires. Early in life, naïve lymphocytes dominate the peripheral blood cell compartment while memory B and T cells remain quite stable in numbers with age. However, these memory cell compartments undergo profound transformations characterized by accumulation of mutations in rearranged immunoglobulin genes and other changes, all leading to a more mature adaptive immune receptor repertoire. Increasing knowledge of the normal adaptations of the adaptive immune system with age now allows a better understanding of the biology of health and providing reference data for the use in biological and clinical practice.
Highlights
The human adaptive immune system plays an important role in establishing defense mechanisms against foreign structures such as viral or bacterial pathogens, which would otherwise lead to significant infections
The human adaptive immune system is learning throughout lifetime, which is associated with extensive alterations in the absolute numbers and cellular compositions of the lymphocyte compartment and dynamic changes in adaptive immune receptor repertoires
A peak in the absolute numbers of total B cells is observed between birth and 5 years of age, mainly due to a high number of naıve B cells (Figure 1b)
Summary
The human adaptive immune system plays an important role in establishing defense mechanisms against foreign structures such as viral or bacterial pathogens, which would otherwise lead to significant infections. Development of adaptive immune cells and receptor repertoires from infancy to adulthood. Current Opinion in Development of adaptive immune cells and receptor repertoires from infancy to adulthood Johannes Trück1 and Mirjam van der Burg2
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