Immunological biomarkers of ageing in man: changes in both innate and adaptive immunity are associated with health and longevity

Scientific and clinical advances in the last century have led to increased numbers of individuals living to older ages. Thus a major concern is how to live these years with a high quality of life. The ageing immune system is less well able to cope with infectious diseases than the youthful immune sy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biogerontology (Dordrecht) 2006-10, Vol.7 (5-6), p.471-481
Main Authors: DelaRosa, Olga, Pawelec, Graham, Peralbo, Esther, Wikby, Anders, Mariani, Erminia, Mocchegiani, Eugenio, Tarazona, Raquel, Solana, Rafael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - immunology
Aging - metabolism
Aging/immunology/metabolism
Antigen Presentation
Biological Markers/metabolism
Biomarkers - metabolism
Cytomegalovirus Infections - immunology
Cytomegalovirus Infections - metabolism
Cytomegalovirus Infections/immunology/metabolism
Humans
Immune system
Immunity, Cellular
Immunity, Innate
Immunology
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS
Killer Cells, Natural - immunology
Killer Cells, Natural - metabolism
Longevity - immunology
Older people and ageing
TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN
Zinc - metabolism
Äldre och åldrande
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Summary:Scientific and clinical advances in the last century have led to increased numbers of individuals living to older ages. Thus a major concern is how to live these years with a high quality of life. The ageing immune system is less well able to cope with infectious diseases than the youthful immune system probably as a consequence of altered immune response to pathogens. Thus, both innate and adaptive immune responses show age-related changes that could be decisive for healthy ageing and survival. Longitudinal studies in healthy elderly have allowed the definition of the ''immune risk phenotype" (IRP) a predictor of mortality in elderly individuals that is based on several parameters of the adaptive immune response. Here, we hypothesize that failures in innate immunity observed in frail elderly are related to those alterations described in adaptive immunity defined as the IRP. It will be important to include assays of NK cell markers and functions in future longitudinal studies in order to investigate this point in detail as well as to consider the trace element zinc as an essential co-factor for optimal NK cell activity.
ISSN:1389-5729
1573-6768
1573-6768
DOI:10.1007/s10522-006-9062-6