Characteristics of the Immunoresponse in Elderly People and Autoimmunity

AbstractAging is a highly complex process that results in the dysregulation of all systems in the human organism. The most important changes in the immune system, which are collectively known as immunosenescence, include lower levels of immunoresponse to infections, increased levels of proinflammatory mediators, and weakened control over self-reactive clones. In elderly people, immunoscenescence is usually observed along with low-grade, aseptic inflammation (inflammaging) which is considered to be associated with a higher incidence of chronic, noninfectious, age-related diseases. This paper discusses the main changes in the innate and adaptive immunity in aging and their impact on the induction of autoimmune processes and provides data on the frequency of autoantibody detection in elderly people and the clinical patterns of certain autoimmune diseases that manifest first at this age.
Source: Advances in Gerontology - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research