[Immune senescence and autoimmunity. Does the immune system really age, or just the organs which supply it?].
Degenerative ageing processes are to a great extent responsible for organ-specific morbidity and mortality among our population. The incidence of many autoimmune diseases also increases significantly with age, as is evident with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for example. From an immunological and pathogenetic perspective, that the changes in the immune system of RA patients is comparable to the physiological ageing process seen in healthy individuals approximately 20 years later is of great interest. Despite the manifold functional changes seen in the immune system of older people, the incidence of infection in very elderly patients with RA is only marginally increased, such that immune suppression in older RA patients should be carried out just as consequently as in younger patients. Age-related changes and diseases in other organ systems should receive particular attention, since such complications can have a negative effect on the course of the autoimmune disease as well as the rate of side effects.
Medizinische Klinik IV, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, Leipzig, Germany. ulf.wagner@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
U
U
Wagner
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D018448:Models, Immunological; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D014781:Viscera / Q000276:immunology*
J Infect Dis. 2002 Jun 1;185(11):1578-85
12023763
Mech Ageing Dev. 2006 Jun;127(6):560-6
16516272
J Immunol. 2004 Aug 15;173(4):2825-33
15295001
Arthritis Res Ther. 2005;7(1):R80-92
15642146
World Health Stat Q. 1996;49(1):35-9
8896256
Nat Immunol. 2006 Apr;7(4):338-43
16550196
Arthritis Rheum. 2007 May 15;57(4):679-85
17471545
Mech Ageing Dev. 2007 Jan;128(1):92-105
17116321
Immunology. 1996 May;88(1):13-9
8707338
Radiat Res. 2004 Mar;161(3):290-8
14982485
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Aug 1;97(16):9203-8
10922071
Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Feb;58(2):370-5
18240243
Biogerontology. 2009 Feb;10(1):83-94
18563620
Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 Oct;64(10):1451-5
15878908