Abstract
Age-related decreases in immunity appear nowadays less important that it used to be reported. Indeed, careful conducted studies, taking account confounding factors, have shown that ageing is characterized by changes in T-cell subsets in peripheral blood (decreases in CD3/CD2, CD45RA/CD45RO, TH1/TH2 ratios) in adult life (30–60 y.o.), but that T-cell functions are well preserved until 80 y.o. in self sufficient, home living elderly. Ageing affects mainly cell mediated immunity (CMI) while humoral immunity is maintained (except for specificity) and non specific immunity, mainly macrophage functions, increases with age. In contrast many micronutrient subcarences are linked to decreased CMI in aged self-sufficient elderly. In addition micronutrient supplementation corrects such deficit and even increased CMI in elderly without subcarences. Such findings indicate: • that some CMI deficit are not age-related but nutritionally-related in aged persons, • that micronutrient needs are increased in the elderly. The new french recommanded dietary allowance (RDA) takes account such a need. Finally, ageing is characterized by a macrophage-T lymphocyte imbalance which induces deleterious nutritional and immune effects in the elderly patients (hypercatabolism patients).
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