Abstract
Context: Aging has impact on immune system both quantitatively as well as qualitatively, leading to deregulated response in different states ranging from infection, autoimmunity, inflammation, and excessive tissue damage. Aims: The present study is done to observe the immunosenescence-related changes in monocytes-/macrophages-mediated production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and interferon (IFN)-γ, evaluating the innate immunity of a group of healthy Indian elderly from a single institution. Settings and Design: The study was conducted on life-term prisoners in Central Jail, Varanasi, India, and the Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, among the three groups, namely study group (>70 years old), control Group 1 (60–70 years), and control Group 2 (30–40 years). Subjects and Methods: Mononuclear cells were separated, and NO production, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 from these cells were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after stimulation with LPS and IFN-γ. Statistical Analysis Used: Mean and standard deviation were calculated, and Student's t-test was applied. Results were considered statistically significant forP Results: A statistically significant rise in NO production (P Conclusions: There is a qualitative as well as quantitative defect in elderly monocytes/macrophages reflecting abnormal inflammatory response. This could be due to abnormal immunity with aging, which may be responsible for increased frequency of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, asymptomatic infections, and Alzheimer's disease in geriatric population.
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