title: Immunological biomarkers of ageing in man: changes in both innate and adaptive immunity are associated with health and longevity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n. 14071, Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: DelaRosa
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pawelec
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peralbo
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wikby
authors.forename: Erminia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mocchegiani
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarazona
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solana
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000276:immunology*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015032:Zinc