Abstract
Aging is characterized by a chronic increase in the systemic levels of inflammatory cytokines even in ostensibly healthy individuals. The drivers of age-related increase in systemic inflammation are unclear but one potential contributor may be a persistent infection with Cytomegalovirus (CMV). In this study, we characterized the inflammatory status of 161 older participants recruited to undergo a six-month training intervention. We investigated the influence of gender and CMV-seropositivity on the main inflammatory and anti-inflammatory circulating biomarkers, such as cytokines, receptor antagonist, soluble receptor, immune cells, and relevant metabolic markers. We found that both gender and CMV-seropositivity modulate circulating peripheral biomarkers, and that CMV-infection modifies associations among the latter. Moreover, we observed an interaction between CMV-serostatus and gender associations with cognitive abilities: gender differences in fluid intelligence (Gf) and working memory (WM) were noted only in CMV-negative individuals. Finally, we found that in the CMV-seronegative participants Gf, episodic memory (EM), and WM correlated negatively with pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF); and EM correlated positively with anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-10. In CMV-seropositive individuals EM and Gf correlated negatively with pro-inflammatory IL-6, while EM, Gf, and WM correlated negatively with anti-inflammatory IL-1RA. We conclude that both CMV-serostatus and gender may modulate neuroimmune factors, cognitive performance and the relationship between the two domains and should therefore be considered in comparative and interventional studies with elderly people.
Highlights
Aging has been linked to persistent low-grade systemic inflammation that is characterized by a chronic increase in the levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, whose presence is highly related to age-related metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuro-degenerative diseases [1]
We observed an interaction between CMV-serostatus and gender associations with cognitive abilities: gender differences in fluid intelligence (Gf) and working memory (WM) were noted only in CMV-negative individuals
For the Multivariate ANOVAs (MANOVA), the logarithmically transformed variables were grouped into pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, interleukin 18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)), anti-inflammatory (IL-10, IL1RA, and sTNF-R), metabolic (HDL, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides), and immune cells groups of variables
Summary
Aging has been linked to persistent low-grade systemic inflammation that is characterized by a chronic increase in the levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, whose presence is highly related to age-related metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuro-degenerative diseases [1]. The disequilibrium between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may have a negative effect on cognitive abilities, inducing learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. It is unclear even in pathological processes, how systemic inflammation relates to disease processes occurring in the brain, peripheral inflammation and central inflammation may be closely related [2,3]. Cytokines are signaling molecules possessing unique modulatory functions They may influence many physiological processes, such as neuroendocrine interactions, neurotransmitter metabolism, and neuroplasticity and affect behavior and cognition [5]. Among numerous pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, some stand out as influential contributors to age-related differences in health, immunity, and cognition
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
