Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42333941›Full record

ArticleAging cell2026

An Aging Clock Based on Immune Repertoire Features: COVID-19 Accelerates Aging.

Xin Gao, Si-Jia Li, Jin Li, Zi-Hui Wang, Lv-Tao Zeng, Ya-Qing Ma, Ya-Min Dang, Ying-Min Zhang, Hong-Lei Liu, Li-Qun Zhang and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Aging cell, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Xin GaoThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8736-1172
Si-Jia LiThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jin LiThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Zi-Hui WangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Lv-Tao ZengThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Ya-Qing MaThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Ya-Min DangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Ying-Min ZhangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Hong-Lei LiuThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Li-Qun ZhangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jing PangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4734-3137
Ju CuiThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Tie-Mei ZhangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jian-Ping CaiThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, National Health Commission, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Funding

CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences 2021-1-I2M-050National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding BJ-2024-138National Natural Science Foundation of China 82170856
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aging induces immunosenescence, a progressive decline in immune function underpinning age-related pathogen vulnerability, yet T/B cell receptor (TCR/BCR) repertoire remodeling during aging remains incompletely characterized, especially in non-European populations. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 may perturb immune homeostasis and accelerate aging, but its impact on immune repertoire aging is unclear. Here, we analyzed leukocyte DNA from 195 healthy Chinese individuals (25-93 years) and 94 post-COVID-19 cases via CDR3 high-throughput sequencing. Aging correlated with shorter CDR3 sequences, reduced VDJ gene/V-J combination diversity, declining TCR/BCR clonotype counts (179.7/507 per 3 years), expanded hyperexpanded TCR/large BCR clones, and reduced diversity (critical turning point ~60 years). These changes were intensified post-COVID-19, with altered amino acid usage, diminished diversity, and expanded SARS-CoV-2/Mycobacterium tuberculosis-related clones. We developed a LightGBM-based immune repertoire aging clock, validating accelerated biological aging (increased cAgeDiff) and reduced intrinsic capacity in post-COVID-19 individuals. Our findings reveal age-dependent immune repertoire remodeling exacerbated by COVID-19, deepening understanding of immunosenescence and post-viral dysfunction, with potential clinical applications for age-related immune decline and post-COVID-19 syndromes.

Indexed as

AgingCOVID-19ImmunosenescenceAdultAgedAged, 80 and overComplementarity Determining RegionsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReceptors, Antigen, B-CellReceptors, Antigen, T-CellSARS-CoV-2Complementarity Determining RegionsReceptors, Antigen, B-CellReceptors, Antigen, T-CellagingCOVID‐19immune repertoiremachine learning

Identifiers

PMID42333941
PMCPMC13288058

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.