title: Getting older can be exhausting.
abstract: Sepsis is a disease that affects primarily the aged. Although mortality is higher in both older septic patients and aged septic mice, the mechanisms underlying decreased survival in older hosts are incompletely understood. New work by Inoue and colleagues demonstrates persistent inflammation and T-cell exhaustion in older septic patients and aged septic mice. The clinical significance of these findings is manifested not only in increased mortality but also in a marked difference in secondary infections in older patients as long as a month following ICU admission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Emory Critical Care Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMB Suite 5105, Atlanta, GA, 30345, USA. mittal@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Emory Critical Care Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMB Suite 5105, Atlanta, GA, 30345, USA. mshawve@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Mandy L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Emory Critical Care Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 101 Woodruff Circle, WMB Suite 5105, Atlanta, GA, 30345, USA. cmcoop3@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Craig M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Coopersmith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology*