Patho-Physiology of Aging and Immune-Senescence: Possible Correlates With Comorbidity and Mortality in Middle-Aged and Old COVID-19 Patients

During the last 2 years, the entire world has been severely devastated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic (COVID-19) as it resulted in several million deaths across the globe. While the virus infects people indiscriminately, the casualty risk is higher mainly in old, and middle-aged COVID-19 patients. The incidences of COVID-19 associated co-morbidity and mortality have a great deal of correlation with the weakened and malfunctioning immune systems of elderly people. Presumably, due to the physiological changes associated with aging and because of possible comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular, and lung diseases, which are more common in elderly people, may be considered as the reason making the elderly vulnerable to the infection on one hand, and COVID-19 associated complications on the other. The accretion of senescent immune cells not only contributes to the deterioration of host defense, but also results in elevated inflammatory phenotype persuaded immune dysfunction. In the present review, we envisage to correlate functioning of the immune defense of older COVID-19 patients with secondary/super infection, increased susceptibility or aggravation against already existing cancer, infectious, autoimmune, and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Moreover, we have discussed how age-linked modulations in the immune system affect therapeutic response against administered drugs as well as immunological response to various prophylactic measures including vaccination in the elderly host. The present review also provides an insight into the intricate pathophysiology of the aging and the overall immune response of the host to SARS-CoV-2 infection. A better understanding of age-related immune dysfunction is likely to help us in the development of targeted preemptive strategies for deadly COVID-19 in elderly patients.

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Lower human defensin 5 in elderly people compared to middle-aged is associated with differences in the intestinal microbiota composition: the DOSANCO Health Study

GeroScience ◽

10.1007/s11357-021-00398-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Shimizu ◽

Kiminori Nakamura ◽

Mani Kikuchi ◽

Shigekazu Ukawa ◽

Koshi Nakamura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Intestinal Microbiota ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Paneth Cell ◽

The Elderly ◽

Microbiota Composition ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Age Related ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Human Defensin 5

AbstractRecently, aging is considered a risk factor for various diseases. Although changes in the intestinal microbiota along with aging are thought to associate with the increased disease risk, mechanisms that cause age-related transition of the intestinal microbiota remain unknown. This study aims to clarify relationships between the amount of human defensin 5 (HD5), a Paneth cell α-defensin, which is known to regulate the intestinal microbiota, and age-related differences of the intestinal microbiota composition. Fecal samples from 196 healthy Japanese (35 to 81 years old) were collected and measured HD5 concentration. HD5 concentration in the elderly group (age > 70 years old) was significantly lower than the middle-aged group (age ≤ 70 years old). Furthermore, individual age was negatively correlated with HD5 concentration (r = − 0.307, p < 0.001). In β-diversity, the intestinal microbiota of the elderly showed a significantly different composition compared to the middle-aged. At the genus level, relative abundance of Collinsella, Alistipes, Peptococcaceae; unassigned, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Weissella, Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Megasphaera, and [Eubacterium] eligens group was significantly higher, and Lachnospiraceae; unassigned, Blautia, Anaerostipes, Fusicatenibacter, Dorea, and Faecalibacterium was significantly lower in the elderly compared to the middle-aged. In addition, HD5 concentration was negatively correlated with Alistipes, Peptococcaceae; unassigned, and Christensenellaceae R-7 group and positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae; unassigned and Dorea. These results provide novel insights into the immunosenescence of enteric innate immunity, indicating low HD5 is suggested to contribute to the age-related differences in the intestinal microbiota and may relate to increased risk of diseases in elderly people.

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An Attitudinal Assessment of Perceived Intergenerational Affinities Linking Adolescence and Old Age

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/016502548300600208 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 221-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mary A. Luszcz

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Old Age ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

The Elderly ◽

Semantic Differential ◽

Age Group ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Old People ◽

Aged People ◽

Age Related

Attitudes toward the elderly were considered in a life-span context relative to adolescents and the middle-aged. These groups were chosen based on theorized commonalities linking adolescents and the elderly in contrast to the middle-aged. Undergraduate students used a semantic differential to rate the extent to which adjectives corresponded to their conceptions of ideal, real, and typical adolescents, middle-aged, and elderly people. Four subscales of Autonomy, Instrumentality, Acceptability, and Integration were assessed. When students considered their ideal conceptions of each age group, no age-related differences were evidenced on any dimensions. Further, across age, typical individuals were considered to be less acceptable and less well-integrated than people known by students. However, autonomy and instrumentality varied with age as well as the type of individuals being rated. Typical old people as well as old people known to students were viewed to be less instrumental than adolescents. These elderly people were also viewed as less instrumental than real but not typical middle-aged people. Adolescents and the elderly alike were seen as less autonomous than real or typical middle-aged people. Results were discussed in terms of Chellam's notion of symmetry that suggests that balance, likeness, and oppositeness each characterize relations among adolescents, the middle-aged, and the elderly.

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Complex treatment of periodontitis: patient’s reaction to the therapy

Periodontology ◽

10.33925/1683-3759-2020-25-2-97-100 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 97-100

Author(s):

A. K. Iordanishvili ◽

V. A. Guk ◽

A. A. Golovko

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Periodontal Diseases ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

The Elderly ◽

Comprehensive Treatment ◽

Complex Treatment ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Aged People ◽

Dental Rehabilitation ◽

Success Of Treatment

Relevance. The success of treatment of periodontal diseases directly depends on the patient’s response to the therapy, therefore, the characteristics of the person’s personal characteristics can affect both the effectiveness of treatment and the prevention of relapse of the disease.Purpose. To study the features of the internal picture of the disease in the process of complex treatment of adult patients suffering from chronic generalized periodontitis.Materials and methods. The generally accepted comprehensive treatment of chronic generalized periodontitis in 69 middle-aged and elderly men was carried out taking into account the personal response of patients Solovyov «Psychosensory-anatomical-functional maladaptation syndrome».Results. When patients were discharged from the hospital, there was a difference in the phenomena of maladaptation among the elderly and middle-aged: in middle-aged people, sufficient adaptation to the conditions of existence was determined; in elderly people, due to the existing comorbid pathology, a state of maladaptation was diagnosed, which was caused by the presence of complaints of defects in the dentition.Conclusion. In elderly people, as soon as possible after completion of treatment in a hospital, dental rehabilitation cannot be considered completed, which requires the adoption of organizational measures for their timely provision of dentures.

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Immunosenescence of Lymphocytes T and Implications for Age-Related Disorders

10.21203/rs.3.rs-24968/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Tylutka ◽

Barbara Morawin ◽

Artur Gramacki ◽

Agnieszka Zembron-Lacny

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Elderly People ◽

Cd8 T Cells ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Concern ◽

Female Group ◽

Major Health ◽

Cd8 Cells ◽

Age Related ◽

Sex Disorders

Abstract Background. The decrease in immunity with age is still a major health concern as elderly people are more susceptible to infections and increased incidence of autoimmunity. Consequently, there is an increasing interest in immunosenescence and changes in immunology cells like T cells. The aim of our study was to find a disproportion in subpopulation of T cells as well as CD4/CD8 ratio depending on the age, gender or comorbidities. Results. In the present study, a flow cytometry was used to indicate the differences between age, sex, disorders and fat content in the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells population divided into naïve and memory cells as well as CD4/CD8 ratio in people aged 71.9± 5.8 years (females n=83, males n=16) compared to young people aged 20.6 ± 1.1 years (females n=12, males n=19). The percentage of naïve CD4+ and CD8+ cells was found to be statistically significantly lower in the elderly compared to the young. In addition, gender was observed to play an important role in the outcomes in the analysed subpopulations and in female group, who live statistically longer than males, our older group of Polish women demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of naïve lymphocytes in both the CD4+ and CD8+ populations compared to men. The CD4/CD8 ratio increases with age, which can be considered one of the markers determining longevity. Elderly people with age-related diseases (hypertension) also show an increased level of CD4/CD8 ratio as well as CD4+. Conclusion. We demonstrated that changes in the T cells population, including naïve cell population as well as CD4/CD8 ratio, are important markers which can be predictive of healthy status. In order to accurately determine longevity, gender or age-associated diseases should be taken into account.

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The Influence of the Interface Button Design of Touch Screens on Operation and Interpretation by Elderly and Middle-Aged Adults

Designs ◽

10.3390/designs3030035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 35

Author(s):

Yeh Po-Chan

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

The Elderly ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Aged People ◽

Display Position ◽

Ideal Image ◽

Self Testing ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

Good Interpretation ◽

The Ideal

Body function begins to decline in middle age, with changes becoming increasingly noticeable over time. With the popularization of educational and information technology, people know more about healthcare and are becoming accustomed to self-testing using health equipment. Technological changes are reflected in products, which present innovations including the switch from traditional to touch-controlled interface designs. This can cause difficulties in the interpretation and interface operation for older adults, who may be facing physiological and psychological alterations. Understanding users’ physiological limitations has become an important aspect of product design. This study explored the effects of physiological limitations on touch-screen operation in middle-aged and elderly people, specifically regarding button type, display position, and button size. A total of 64 participants were included in the study: 32 middle-aged people (aged 45–64 years) and 32 elderly people (65 years of age and older). Each participant was asked to complete 32 tasks (two button categories × four button sizes × four presentation positions). The results revealed no differences between the elderly and the middle-aged groups with regard to the interpretation of image buttons and text buttons; however, button size affected the operation and interpretation time. Middle-aged participants demonstrated good interpretation performance when the buttons were displayed in the upper or lower part of the screen, whereas elderly participants only had a good interpretation performance when the buttons were in the upper part. For both groups, the ideal image button size was 16 mm with a text font size of 22.

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Changes in processing adverbial conjuncts throughout adulthood

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716400009486 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 105-116

Author(s):

Ronald L. Bloom ◽

Jeanne Mullin ◽

Peter J. Paternostro

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

The Elderly ◽

Education Level ◽

Significant Decline ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Linguistic Processing ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Age Related ◽

Processing Abilities

ABSTRACTThis study examines the use and understanding of concordant (e.g., consequently, moreover) and discordant (e.g., rather, contrastively) adverbial conjuncts in the later part of the life span. The participants, 75 neurologically healthy young (mean age 21.8), middle-aged (mean age 51.7), and elderly (mean age 73.1) adults, were examined using procedures by Nippold, Schwarz, and Undlin (1992). Groups were matched for education level. The results indicate a significant decline in processing adverbial conjuncts in the elderly. Discordant adverbial conjuncts especially challenged the linguistic processing abilities of the elderly subjects. The age- related decline in processing adverbial conjuncts.appears to be a specific deficit in linguistic processing that is independent of problems in memory or the effects of exposure to sophisticated language forms.

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Age-Related Changes in Gait Velocity and Leg Extension Power in Middle-Aged and Elderly People

Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.2188/jea.10.1sup_77 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (1sup) ◽

pp. 77-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Rumi Kozakai ◽

Shigeki Tsuzuku ◽

Kyonosuke Yabe ◽

Fujiko Ando ◽

Naoakira Niino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Gait Velocity ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Leg Extension ◽

Age Related ◽

Leg Extension Power ◽

Age Related Changes

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Macrophage LC3-associated phagocytosis is an immune defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae that diminishes with host aging

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2015368117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 117 (52) ◽

pp. 33561-33569

Author(s):

Megumi Inomata ◽

Shuying Xu ◽

Pallavi Chandra ◽

Simin N. Meydani ◽

Genzou Takemura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

The Elderly ◽

Invasive Disease ◽

Immune Defense ◽

Bacterial Killing ◽

Murine Bone Marrow ◽

Aged Mice ◽

Age Related ◽

Old Mice

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and invasive disease, particularly, in the elderly. S. pneumoniae lung infection of aged mice is associated with high bacterial burdens and detrimental inflammatory responses. Macrophages can clear microorganisms and modulate inflammation through two distinct lysosomal trafficking pathways that involve 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-marked organelles, canonical autophagy, and LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP). The S. pneumoniae pore-forming toxin pneumolysin (PLY) triggers an autophagic response in nonphagocytic cells, but the role of LAP in macrophage defense against S. pneumoniae or in age-related susceptibility to infection is unexplored. We found that infection of murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) by PLY-producing S. pneumoniae triggered Atg5- and Atg7-dependent recruitment of LC3 to S. pneumoniae-containing vesicles. The association of LC3 with S. pneumoniae-containing phagosomes required components specific for LAP, such as Rubicon and the NADPH oxidase, but not factors, such as Ulk1, FIP200, or Atg14, required specifically for canonical autophagy. In addition, S. pneumoniae was sequestered within single-membrane compartments indicative of LAP. Importantly, compared to BMDMs from young (2-mo-old) mice, BMDMs from aged (20- to 22-mo-old) mice infected with S. pneumoniae were not only deficient in LAP and bacterial killing, but also produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Inhibition of LAP enhanced S. pneumoniae survival and cytokine responses in BMDMs from young but not aged mice. Thus, LAP is an important innate immune defense employed by BMDMs to control S. pneumoniae infection and concomitant inflammation, one that diminishes with age and may contribute to age-related susceptibility to this important pathogen.

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Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid as Treatment in Elderly and Middle-Aged Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

The Open Rheumatology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874312901307010038 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 38-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Demet Uçar ◽

Demirhan Dıraçoğlu ◽

Türker Süleyman ◽

Nalan Çapan

Keyword(s):

Hyaluronic Acid ◽

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Group ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Old Patients ◽

Aged Group ◽

The Third ◽

Age Related ◽

One Year

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is the most common age-related degenerative joint disease. It affects all the joints containing hyaline cartilage. Knee osteoarthritis is the most cumbersome in terms of prevalence and disability. The aim of this study to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid in patients with knee osteoarthritis with regard to joint pain and function, as well as patient satisfaction, assessed at one month and at one year, and by age group. Methods: In this prospective randomised study, 172 patients who were diagnosed knee OA and who received three consecutive intra-articular injections of HA weekly were included. Patients 65 years of age or older were accepted as the “elderly group”, and those under 65 were accepted as the “middle-aged group”. Clinical evaluations of efficacy and safety were conducted at the beginning of the study, one month after the third injection, and one year after the third injection. Results: In the two groups, the intragroup analysis revealed significant improvements following injection when compared with preinjection values. According to the last followup controls (after 12 months) in the middle-aged group, VAS activity pain, VAS rest pain, WOMAC physical function, and WOMAC pain values were found to be statistically lower when compared with pre-injection values. In the elderly group, no statistically significant differences were found between pre-injection and after 12 months. Conclusion: We can conclude that intra-articular joint HA injections are effective in both young and old patients with OA with regard to pain and functional status over a short-term period. Further, HA injections in patients younger than 65 years can be planned for a one-year period.

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Selenium Status in Elderly People: Longevity and Age-Related Diseases

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612825666190701144709 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (15) ◽

pp. 1694-1706 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Harry Robberecht ◽

Tess De Bruyne ◽

Elisabeth Davioud-Charvet ◽

John Mackrill ◽

Nina Hermans

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Trace Element ◽

Elderly People ◽

Biological Samples ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Selenium Concentration ◽

The Elderly ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Selenium Status ◽

Age Related

Background:Selenium (Se) is a trace element active in selenoproteins, which can regulate oxidative stress. It is generally perceived as an import factor for maintaining health in the elderly.Methods:The goal of this review is to discuss selenium concentration in biological samples, primarily serum or plasma, as a function of age and its relation with longevity. The elemental level in various age-related diseases is reviewed.Conclusion:Highest selenium values were observed in healthy adults, while in an elderly population significantly lower concentrations were reported. Variables responsible for contradictory findings are mentioned. Risk and benefits of Se-supplementation still remain under debate.

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