This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brussow, H. Articles by Decarli, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brussow, H. Articles by Decarli, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, 05 1995, 272-276, Vol 2, No. 3
Copyright © 1995 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Effect of age on concentrations of serum antibodies to viral, bacterial, and food antigens in elderly Swiss people

H Brussow, J Sidoti, A Blondel-Lubrano, Y Borel, JP Michel, H Dirren and B Decarli
Nestec Ltd., Nestle Research Centre, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Serum antibody concentrations to two viral, five bacterial, and two food antigens were investigated in 307 elderly Swiss subjects, and the hypothesis of whether serum antibody titers decreased with age was tested. The cross-sectional part of the study consisted of 216 unselected consecutive patients hospitalized in one geriatric hospital. The patients were divided into two age groups (65 to 84 and 85 to 102 years old), and their antibody titers were compared. No age-related decreases in antibody titers were observed. The members of the two age groups were well matched for medical diagnosis and nutritional and inflammatory status. The prospective part of the study consisted of 91 healthy elderly subjects living in the community; they were 71 to 76 years old when they were enrolled in the study. Their serum antibody status was measured at the beginning of the study and 4 years later. We observed a significant decrease in diphtheria antitoxin levels and a significant increase in antibody titer to the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae. No change in antibody titer to rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli, C polysaccharide of S. pneumoniae, or the polyribosyl-ribitol phosphate of Haemophilus influenzae was observed. Thus, no signs of B-cell immunosenescence were seen in these two groups of elderly Swiss people.