title: Prevalence of organ-specific and non organ-specific autoantibodies in healthy centenarians.
abstract: In the present study we have investigated the prevalence of organ-specific and non organ-specific autoantibodies in 26 healthy centenarians (6 men, 20 women; age range 101-106 years), using as controls 54 healthy old (33 men and 21 women, age range 71-93) and 56 young subjects (29 men and 27 women, age range 26-60). We assayed sera of each group for the following organ-specific autoantibodies, anti-gastric mucosa (anti-PCA), anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and non organ-specific autoantibodies, anti-cardiolipin (anti-APA IgG and IgM), anti-nuclear antigens (anti-ANA), anti-double strand DNA (anti-ds-DNA), anti-extractable nuclear antigens (anti-ENA). Finally, natural anti-alpha-galactosyl (anti-alpha-GAL) antibodies were also analyzed. As expected, in the old subjects there was a significant increase of prevalence of anti-Tg and anti-PCA autoantibodies. By contrast, in centenarians the prevalence of organ specific anti-Tg and anti-PCA antibodies was not significantly different from that observed in controls aged less than 60 years. The prevalence of non organ-specific autoantibodies anti-APA (IgG), anti-APA (IgM), anti-ANA, was significantly increased both in the elderly and centenarians when compared with the prevalence observed in sera from the young. Anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA antibodies were not detected in all groups studied. Finally, the prevalence of natural anti-alpha-GAL antibodies significantly increases with age, including centenarians. In conclusion, we confirm and extend the results previously obtained by other authors. In fact, as already described, the prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies in the elderly is not seen after the tenth decade of life. Interestingly, the prevalence of non organ-specific autoantibodies is instead increased in these subjects, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of these autoantibodies. Particularly, these autoantibodies could be the expression of a damaged tissue process rather than of an autoimmune one, as suggested by data concerning natural antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Medicina Interna, Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria dell' Universita' di Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Candore
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mansueto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melluso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fradà
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li Vecchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito Pellitteri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Salvo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D002308:Cardiolipins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D004247:DNA; D013954:Thyroglobulin