Heterogeneity of thymic output in the elderly and its association with sex and smoking
Sandhar B., Vyas V., Harding D., Ragazzini R., Bonfanti P., Marelli-Berg FM.
Prospective Study, published in JCI Insight (2025) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Prospective Study
- Journal
- JCI Insight (2025)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 40591412
- PMCID
- PMC12341542
- DOI
- 10.1172/jci.insight.189008
- Citations
- 5
Abstract (original English)
BACKGROUNDThymic involution with age leads to reduced T cell output and impaired adaptive immunity. However, the extent to which thymic activity persists later in life and how this contributes to immunological aging remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the presence and function of thymic tissue in older adults and identify factors influencing residual thymopoiesis.METHODSPatients aged 50 or older undergoing cardiothoracic surgery were recruited. Thymic structures within mediastinal adipose tissue were evaluated using histology, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, and RNA sequencing. Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) were quantified in peripheral blood and correlated with transcriptomic, epigenetic, and TCR repertoire data. Primary outcomes included thymic tissue identification, RTE frequency, and immune correlates.RESULTSFunctional thymic tissue was identified in mediastinal adipose tissue of older individuals. The frequency of CD31+CD4+ T cells (RTEs) positively correlated with the presence of thymic tissue. Thymic output showed substantial heterogeneity and was influenced by sex and smoking history. Thymic activity was associated with increased TCR repertoire diversity, improved immune protection against infections, and reduced epigenetic aging. Detailed profiling uncovered functional and phenotypic heterogeneity within naive CD4+ T cell
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
Evidence level
Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.
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