title: Age-associated changes of neutrophil responsiveness in a human healthy elderly population.
abstract: Conflicting results have been reported on polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell responsiveness during senescence. Consequently, neutrophil absolute numbers and PMN-mediated chemotaxis, phagocytosis, killing and superoxide anion (O2-) generation in healthy aged volunteers divided into different groups according to increasing age criteria, were investigated and evaluated. Data provide evidence that absolute amounts of PMN cells declined in a significant manner in donors over 85 years old only when compared with young subjects. On the contrary, regardless of age, the aged individuals exhibited a significant impairment of PMN chemotactic, phagocytic and killing functional capacities. Finally, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylanaline (FMLP)-triggered O2- release was reduced in all elderly groups, while depression of O2- production was seen in subjects between the age of 86 and 104 years using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) as agonist. These findings indicate that an imbalance in the PMN cell immune reactivity occurs throughout the senescence process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Medical Faculty, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polignano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venezia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jirillo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antonaci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013481:Superoxides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate