title: Age-related autoimmunity.
abstract: Older persons have higher autoimmunity but a lower prevalence of autoimmune diseases. A possible explanation for this is the expansion of many protective regulatory mechanisms highly characteristic in the elderly. Of note is the higher production of peripheral T-regulatory cells.The frequent development of autoimmunity in the elderly was suggested to take place in part due to the selection of T cells with increased affinity to self-antigens or to latent viruses. These cells were shown to have a greater ability to be pro-inflammatory, thereby amplifying autoimmunity. During aging, thymic T-regulatory cell output decreases in association with the loss of thymic capacity to generate new T cells. However, to balance the above mentioned autoimmunity and prevent the development of autoimmune diseases, there is an age-related increase in peripheral CD4+ CD25highFoxP3+ T-regulatory cells. It remains unclear whether this is an age-related immune dysfunction or a defense response. Whatever the reason, the expansion of T-regulatory cells requires payment in terms of an increased incidence of cancer and higher susceptibility to infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Golomb Street 47, Haifa, 31048, Israel.
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vadasz
authors.forename: Tharwat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haj
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kessel
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toubi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
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