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45/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 45 out of 100. Long-term cohort studies

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Inflammatory responses are characterized by the activation of immune cells, while inflammatory biomarkers intricately interact with the immune system. While experimental studies have provided important mechanistic insights, large community-based investigations jointly profiling immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory biomarkers remain limited. This study aims to investigate the association between circulating immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory protein biomarkers in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. A sample of 873 dementia-free participants (52% female, mean age 61) had extensive profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and inflammatory plasma protein biomarkers (OLINK Proteomics) collected at Offspring Exam 7 (the seventh examination cycle of the cohort, 1998 to 2001). Among cross-sectional pairwise associations between 77 immune cell phenotypes and 68 inflammatory biomarkers, CD8 naïve T cells showed negative associations with multiple inflammatory proteins, including CD40, CD5, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL8, OPG, TGF-alpha, TNF, TNFRSF9, and 4E-BP1. Higher levels of CD8 Cytotoxic T cells, CD8 + CD27-, CD8 effector T cells, and interferon gamma-producing CD8 T cells (Tc1) were all associated with higher levels of soluble CD8 alpha chain (CD8A). In contrast, CD4/CD8 T cell ratio, Immunoglobulin D (IgD)-expressing B cells and naïve Immunoglobulin D and Immunoglobulin M double-positive B cells (IgD + IgM + B cells) were associated with lower CD8A. Stratified analyses revealed significant associations primarily in males and participants over 60. These findings provide a comprehensive population-level characterization of the relationships between circulating immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory biomarkers in a well-defined community-based cohort, offering insight into immune cell-inflammatory profiles associated with aging.

Key findings

Higher levels of CD8 Cytotoxic T cells, CD8 + CD27-, CD8 effector T cells, and interferon gamma-producing CD8 T cells (Tc1) were all associated with higher levels of soluble CD8 alpha chain (CD8A).
In contrast, CD4/CD8 T cell ratio, Immunoglobulin D (IgD)-expressing B cells and naïve Immunoglobulin D and Immunoglobulin M double-positive B cells (IgD + IgM + B cells) were associated with lower CD8A.
Stratified analyses revealed significant associations primarily in males and participants over 60.
These findings provide a comprehensive population-level characterization of the relationships between circulating immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory biomarkers in a well-defined community-based cohort, offering insight into immune cell-inflammatory profiles associated with aging.

Why it matters

This cross-sectional study found associations between circulating immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory biomarkers in dementia-free participants. It provides information about immune and inflammatory relationships but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 45/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Scientific Reports)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Scientific Reports: journal h-index 463 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	5 / 5	2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 2.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	0 / 4	Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Kathryn L. Lunetta: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Boston University: institution h-index 1,456 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41760714)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	45 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Chen, J., Doyle, M. F., Cao, Y., Iyer, S., Ragab, A. A. Y., Murabito, J. M., et al. (2026). Circulating immune cell phenotypes are associated with inflammatory biomarkers in dementia-free participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41423-4

Vancouver

Chen J, Doyle MF, Cao Y, Iyer S, Ragab AAY, Murabito JM, et al. Circulating immune cell phenotypes are associated with inflammatory biomarkers in dementia-free participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. Scientific Reports. 2026. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-41423-4. PMID: 41760714.

BibTeX

@article{chen2026-41760714,
  author  = {Chen, Jiachen and Doyle, Margaret F. and Cao, Yumeng and Iyer, Sandhya and Ragab, Ahmed A. Y. and Murabito, Joanne M. and Lunetta, Kathryn L.},
  title   = {{Circulating immune cell phenotypes are associated with inflammatory biomarkers in dementia-free participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort}},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1038/s41598-026-41423-4},
  pmid    = {41760714},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41423-4}
}

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