Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health
Aging of the immune system is characterized by changes in the T-cell compartment, including a decrease in naïve T-cells and an increase in memory T-cells. Stress exposures are known to predict accelerated immune aging in older adults. However, social relationships, which are often linked to stress m...
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625000511 |
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| author | Farizah I. Rob Rebecca C. Stebbins Jennifer Momkus Chantel L. Martin Kathleen Mullan Harris Allison E. Aiello |
| author_facet | Farizah I. Rob Rebecca C. Stebbins Jennifer Momkus Chantel L. Martin Kathleen Mullan Harris Allison E. Aiello |
| author_sort | Farizah I. Rob |
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| description | Aging of the immune system is characterized by changes in the T-cell compartment, including a decrease in naïve T-cells and an increase in memory T-cells. Stress exposures are known to predict accelerated immune aging in older adults. However, social relationships, which are often linked to stress mechanisms, have not been widely studied in relation to these adaptive immune biomarkers, particularly in younger populations. We examined associations between social relationships, in terms of quantity (Social Network Index, Close Contacts Index) and quality of relationships (spouse/partner, friends, and family members), and immune aging in a U.S-representative early midlife population (age 33–44) from Wave V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 4451). DNA methylation data of venous blood samples collected during Wave V were used to compute CD4+ memory:naïve, CD8+ memory:naïve, and total CD8+:CD4+ T cell ratios; higher values indicate a more aged immune profile. Results from survey-weighted linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education indicated higher number of close friends and frequency of contact, alongside higher quality relationships with family members were associated with decreases in CD4+ memory:naive ratios. The results for CD8+ memory:naïve and CD8+:CD4+ ratios were mostly non-significant. Our findings suggest that higher quantity and quality of social relationships may help protect against immune aging, particularly in the CD4+ T cell compartment, prior to midlife. This underscores the importance of interventions that enhance social relationships throughout life to promote healthy longevity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1d66a7a8755440f68ead19f7530cf5fc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-3546 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-1d66a7a8755440f68ead19f7530cf5fc2025-08-20T02:18:47ZengElsevierBrain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health2666-35462025-05-014510099310.1016/j.bbih.2025.100993Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult HealthFarizah I. Rob0Rebecca C. Stebbins1Jennifer Momkus2Chantel L. Martin3Kathleen Mullan Harris4Allison E. Aiello5Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USADepartment of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, 2101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB #7435, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USADepartment of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, 2101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB #7435, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USACarolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA; Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 201 Pauli Murray Hall, C.B. #3210, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516-3210, USARobert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Corresponding author. The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.Aging of the immune system is characterized by changes in the T-cell compartment, including a decrease in naïve T-cells and an increase in memory T-cells. Stress exposures are known to predict accelerated immune aging in older adults. However, social relationships, which are often linked to stress mechanisms, have not been widely studied in relation to these adaptive immune biomarkers, particularly in younger populations. We examined associations between social relationships, in terms of quantity (Social Network Index, Close Contacts Index) and quality of relationships (spouse/partner, friends, and family members), and immune aging in a U.S-representative early midlife population (age 33–44) from Wave V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 4451). DNA methylation data of venous blood samples collected during Wave V were used to compute CD4+ memory:naïve, CD8+ memory:naïve, and total CD8+:CD4+ T cell ratios; higher values indicate a more aged immune profile. Results from survey-weighted linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education indicated higher number of close friends and frequency of contact, alongside higher quality relationships with family members were associated with decreases in CD4+ memory:naive ratios. The results for CD8+ memory:naïve and CD8+:CD4+ ratios were mostly non-significant. Our findings suggest that higher quantity and quality of social relationships may help protect against immune aging, particularly in the CD4+ T cell compartment, prior to midlife. This underscores the importance of interventions that enhance social relationships throughout life to promote healthy longevity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625000511ImmunosenescenceAgingSocial relationshipsPopulation-based studiesPsychosocial stressors |
| spellingShingle | Farizah I. Rob Rebecca C. Stebbins Jennifer Momkus Chantel L. Martin Kathleen Mullan Harris Allison E. Aiello Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health Immunosenescence Aging Social relationships Population-based studies Psychosocial stressors |
| title | Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health |
| title_full | Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health |
| title_fullStr | Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health |
| title_short | Social relationships and immune aging in early midlife: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health |
| title_sort | social relationships and immune aging in early midlife evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent to adult health |
| topic | Immunosenescence Aging Social relationships Population-based studies Psychosocial stressors |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625000511 |
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