• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Age-associated Changes in the Respiratory Epithelial Response to Influenza Infection

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2018 Jun 7. doi: 10.1093/gerona/gly126. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]Age-associated Changes in the Respiratory Epithelial Response to Influenza Infection.[/h] Chason KD[SUP]1[/SUP], Jaspers I[SUP]2,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Parker J[SUP]4[/SUP], Sellers S[SUP]1[/SUP], Brighton LE[SUP]2[/SUP], Hunsucker SA[SUP]4[/SUP], Armistead PM[SUP]4[/SUP], Fischer WA 2nd[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] Older adults suffer a disproportionate burden of influenza-related morbidity and mortality typically attributed to defects in the aging immune system collectively known as immunosenescence. While the age-related decline in the adaptive immune system has been well characterized, little is known about how aging affects the principal site of influenza infection - the nasal epithelium. In human nasal epithelial cell cultures (hNECs) from older adults, we found similar or increased levels of cytokines during influenza infection compared with hNECs from younger individuals. However, hNECs from older individuals demonstrated decreased mRNA expression for several key proteins that affect clearance of infected cells, including MHC-I and TAP. These findings were confirmed at the level of protein expression. In vivo studies corroborated the in vitro differences in MHC-I and TAP gene expression and also revealed important decreases in the expression of key influenza-specific antiviral mediators MX1 and IFITM1. Furthermore, epithelial cell-cytotoxic T lymphocyte co-cultures demonstrate that CTL cytotoxic activity is dose-dependent on MHC-I antigen presentation. Taken together, these results indicate that aging is associated with important changes in the nasal epithelium, including antigen presentation and antiviral pathways, which may contribute to increased severity of disease in older adults through impaired clearance of infected cells.


PMID: 29878083 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gly126
 
Back
Top Bottom