title: Host Resistance and Immune Aging.
abstract: Human immune system aging results in impaired responses to pathogens or vaccines. In the innate immune system, which mediates the earliest pro-inflammatory responses to immunologic challenge, processes ranging from Toll-like Receptor function to Neutrophil Extracellular Trap formation are generally diminished in older adults. Dysregulated, enhanced basal inflammation with age reflecting activation by endogenous damage-associated ligands contributes to impaired innate immune responses. In the adaptive immune system, T and B cell subsets and function alter with age. The control of cytomegalovirus infection, particularly in the T lineage, plays a dominant role in the differentiation and diversity of the T cell compartment.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Thilinie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bandaranayake
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: albert.shaw@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Albert C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Aging; B cell; Immunosenescence; Inflammation; Innate immunity; T cell