Host resistance and the immune system.
Elderly persons are more susceptible and vulnerable to many infections compared with young adults. This phenomenon can be attributed to a decline in host defense mechanisms, particularly altered immune function. The effects of aging on T- and B-lymphocyte function; antigen-presenting cells, natural killer cells, and granulocytes; and organ-specific host resistance are discussed in this article.
Ben-Yehuda
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Hadassah University Medical Center, Jersualem, Israel.
Weksler
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D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000502:physiology*; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology