Abstract
Purpose :
the quality of ageing is influenced by our genetic heritage, we aim to evaluate P53’s role in aging process.
Methods :
53 healthy patients were recruited, divided into two groups. Group A was made up of 15 patients under 65 years of age, Group B was made up of 38 patients over 75 years of age. Each subject was evaluated for the presence of ocular surface disease through clinical examination, including the measurement of tear break-up time (TBUT), the Schrimer test 1, the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, conjunctival impression cytology specimens were also collected to detect P53, inflammatory molecules, immune mediators and epigenetic targets. Relative two step real time PCR was carried out and appropriate statistical analysis was performed after normality tests.
Results :
The oldest patients of Group B showed an increased and disreguleted expression of P53 (p=0.039) than the younger patients of Group A. In Group B showed an increased expression of IL6 (p=0.029), IL10 (p=0.05), SOCS3 (p=0.014) and IL1β (P < 0.05) transcripts compared with Group A, unchanged INFγ, IL18 and IL17A transcripts between the two group and reduced HLA-DR (P < 0.05) and IL7 (P < 0.05) transcripts compared with Group A. HD1 (p>0.05), KEAP1 (p=0.006) and NRF2 (p=0.014) were also increased. Finally, reduced T-BUT and Schrimer test 1 were observed in Group B respect to Group A (P<0.05). An interesting correlation emerged between P53 and IL6, and between IL6 and Schrimer test (P < 0.05). Finally, HD1 (p>0.05), KEAP1 (p=0.006) and NRF2 (p=0.014) were also increased.
Conclusions :
P53 is highly dysregulated by aging, even in successful aging with healthy patients and without discomfort. There is a process of alteration of inflammation and immune response, which is probably caused by an epigenetic change that mutates the expression of fundamental proteins, as we have demonstrated. P53 is a protein regulating several cell functions, ranging from the regulation of cell cycle to the control of immune system up to DNA repair and cell differentiation. The take-home message of this pilot study is that the medicine of the future is prevention, and to balance the fitness of people in their environment and have a quality of life at the level of quantity, we could act at different levels, from the environment and epigenetics to immune control, bringing what is currently an approach exclusively for pathology to preventive medicine.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.