title: [Immunological markers of ageing].
abstract: Ageing is a process involving morphological and physiological modifications that gradually appear with time and lead to death. Given the heterogeneous nature of the process among individuals and among the different organs, tissues, and systems in the same individual, the concept of <<biological age>> has been developed. The search for parameters that enable us to evaluate biological age--and therefore longevity--and the analysis of the efficacy of strategies to retard the ageing process are the objectives of gerontology. At present, one of the most important theories of ageing is the <<oxidative-inflammatory>> theory. Given that immune cell function is an excellent marker of health, we review the concepts that enable different functional and oxidative stress parameters in immune cells to be identified as markers of biological age and longevity. None of these parameters is universally accepted as a biomarker of ageing, although they are becoming increasingly important.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España. patriciaafdez@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso-Fernández
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines