@article {12866, title = {Socioeconomic and race/ethnic differences in immunosenescence: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Brain, Behavior, and Immunity}, volume = {107}, year = {2023}, pages = {361-368}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to understand variation in immunosenescence at the population-level. Thus far, population patterns of immunosenescence have not well described.

METHODS: We characterized measures of immunosenescence from the 2016 Venous Blood Study from the nationally representative U.S Health and Retirement Study (HRS) of individuals ages 50~years and older.

RESULTS: Median values of the CD8+:CD4+, EMRA:Na{\"\i}ve CD4+ and EMRA:Na{\"\i}ve CD8+ ratios were higher among older participants and were lower in those with additional educational attainment. Generally, minoritized race and ethnic groups had immune markers suggestive of a more aged immune profile: Hispanics had a CD8+:CD4+ median value of 0.37 (95~\% CI: 0.35, 0.39) compared to 0.30 in non-Hispanic Whites (95~\% CI: 0.29, 0.31). Non-Hispanic Blacks had the highest median value of the EMRA:Na{\"\i}ve CD4+ ratio (0.08; 95~\% CI: 0.07, 0.09) compared to non-Hispanic Whites (0.03; 95~\% CI: 0.028, 0.033). In regression analyses, race/ethnicity and education were associated with large differences in the immune ratio measures after adjustment for age and sex.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower educational attainment and minoritized racial ethnic status were associated with higher levels of immunosenescence. This population variation may have important implications for both risk of age-related disease and vulnerability to emerging pathogens (e.g., SARS-CoV-2).

}, keywords = {Academic Success, COVID-19, Health Status, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2}, issn = {1090-2139}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbi.2022.10.019}, author = {Noppert, Grace A and Stebbins, Rebecca C and Dowd, Jennifer Beam and Aiello, Allison E} }