Immunological changes in the elderly

Immunosenescence is a complex remodelling of the immune system which may co ntribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Much evid ence suggests an association between immune function and longevity. It was advanced that individuals who have survived in good health to the maximum l ife span are equipped with optimal cell defense mechanisms. Despite the gre at number of studies on the immune system in the elderly, little is known o f the biological basis of immunosenescence in humans. This is partly due to the contrasting results often obtained by the various investigators. One s ource of discrepancy is that diseases are frequent in aging, and the altera tions observed in the immune parameters of the elderly could be a cause or alternatively a consequence of the underlying pathological processes. Undou btedly some diseases to which aged people are particularly susceptible, suc h as infectious, autoimmune and neoplastic pathologies, include dysregulati on of several immune functions in their pathogenesis. On the other hand, re cent studies in healthy centenarians suggest that the immunological changes observed during aging are consistent with a reshaping, rather than a gener alized deterioration, of the main immune functions. Considering that the nu mber of old people is dramatically increasing, and that geriatric pathology is becoming an important aspect of clinical practice, it seems particularl y interesting to review the peculiar findings in the immune system of the e lderly so as to better understand their susceptibility to certain diseases, and the links between health and longevity. (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 11: 281 -286, 1999) (C)1999, Editrice Kurtis.