Naïve, Effector, and Memory T cells Frequency in the Peripheral Blood of Healthy Men Following 4 Weeks of Intermittent Fasting

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ~ Iranian Tissue Bank and Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Research Center of Quran, Hadith and Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

5 Department of Immunology, Medicine School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.30476/ijns.2026.107883.1528

Abstract

Background: Intermittent fasting (IF) is a 16/8 fasting model, which is supposed to recruit immune cells to the bone marrow, thus prevents immune exhaustion. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of naive, memory, and effector T lymphocytes in blood circulation before and after IF.
Methods: Proportion of CD4+CXCR7+CD45RA+ (naïve T cells), CD4+CXCR7+CD45RA- (memory T cells), and CD4+CXCR7- CD45RA- (effector T cells) cells were evaluated in 18 healthy young men in the week before and on the last day of Ramadan fasting, resembling IF, using flowcytometry.
Results: The percentage of peripheral blood naïve T cells reduced significantly at the end of Ramadan fasting (p=0.001); however, the frequency of memory and effector T cells did not change.
Conclusion: The decreased number of circulatory naïve T cells suggests a protective effect of intermittent fasting on immunosenescence and immune exhaustion. Also, preserved proportion of effector T cells is suggestive of an intact immunocompetence despite 4 weeks of IF.

Highlights

Sara Assadiasl (Google Scholar)

Mohammad Hossein Nicknam (Google Scholar)

Keywords

References

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