title: [Immunity in the elderly].
abstract: The increased morbidity and mortality due to infections among the elderly result from the age-associated decline of the body's defence systems. Changes in the nonspecific, i.e. innate immunity are not as strong as in the acquired, adaptive immunity. Especially T lymphocytes are functioning insufficiently: their reactivity towards their antigen diminishes and alterations take place in the proportions of their functional subgroups. Surprisingly, cytomegalovirus infection seems to be associated with these T cell alterations. In addition, "inflamm-aging", i.e. elevation of the basal level of inflammation in the absence of detectable activation, is a crucial factor.
authors.affiliation: Tampereen yliopisto.
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hurme
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology