title: Sex and age specificity of susceptibility genes modulating survival at old age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the influence of the genetic variability of candidate genes on survival at old age in good health.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, on the basis of a synthetic survival curve constructed using historic mortality data taken from the Italian population from 1890 onward, we defined three age classes ranging from 18 to 106 years. Second, we assembled a multinomial logistic regression model to evaluate the effect of dichotomous variables (genotypes) on the probability to be assigned to a specific category (age class). Third, we applied the regression model to a cross-sectional dataset (10 genes; 972 subjects selected for healthy status) categorized according to age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that genetic factors influence survival at advanced age in good health in a sex- and age-specific way. Furthermore, we found that genetic variability plays a stronger role in males than in females and that, in both genders, its impact is especially important at very old ages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analyses presented here underline the age-specific effect of the gene network in modulating survival at advanced age in good health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy. g.passarino@unical.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passarino
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montesanto
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dato
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domma
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Emidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feraco
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Benedictis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics