Function of the Oxidative Metabolism of Phagocytes in Elderly People: Relationship to Nutritional and Inflammatory Status

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phagocyte production of oxygen-free radicals (OFR) in the whole blood of elderly patients (EP), by measuring chemiluminescence at the basal state and after stimulation, and to study the relationships between its impairment, if any, and blood indices of the nutritional and inflammatory status in elderly patients with (Inf) and without (N-Inf) inflammatory diseases. The results showed that OFR production by resting circulating phagocytes, assessed by chemiluminescence on whole blood, is markedly increased in EP, irrespective of any in vitro stimulation. The significant correlation we found between basal chemiluminescence and immunoglobulins levels, IgM, IgG and IgA in the whole EP sample, and IgG in the N-Inf group, suggests that it could be linked to the cytokine imbalance that favours Th2- and impairs Th1-type of cytokine production by T-cells in EP. The basal overproduction of OFR was observed both in Inf and N-Inf EP and unexpectedly was less marked in group Inf EP. This observation suggests a relative impairment in EP phagocytic adaptive responses to inflammatory conditions. This suggestion was confirmed by the absence of significant differences between the chemiluminescence index CLI calculated after phorbol myrisate acetate (PMA) stimulation in group Inf vs. N-Inf EP, and by the lower CLI observed in group Inf phagocytes stimulated by opsonized zymosan. The role of blood changes associated with inflammation and/or nutrition in this relative impairment is supported by the positive correlations that we observed between CLI and acute-phase proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract on Free Radical Production in Hypoxic Rats.

“…Among other physiopathological phenomena linked to these modifications, there is an overproduction of free radicals leading to abnormalities of immune response and the sensitivity to infection. 8) The association between aging and diseases involving free radical reactions seems to be directly implicated in psychic and behavioral disorders. In contrast to other kinds of psychotropic drugs, nootropic or cognition enhancing drugs could be indicated.…”

Markers of the ageing macrophage: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…linked an increase in IL-10 to neovascularisation, making age-related macular degeneration more aggressive ( 37 ). Alongside IL-10, overproduction of ROS appeared commonplace in ageing ( 78 , 79 ), which could lead to excess tissue and DNA damage through oxidative inflammatory stress ( 78 ), cytotoxicity and abnormal growth of cancer cells ( 80 ).…”

Effect of an auditory stress on peritoneal and alveolar cells in C57 BL/6J mice of advanced age

“…We observed that, in old mice, the CLI of peritoneal cells, stimulated by zymosan or by fMetLeuPhe, were higher than those observed in young mice, and that, after stress, the macrophages of old mice did not increase their FOR production as did the macrophages of young mice. Studies in both elderly people (13) and old beagle dogs (30) have shown that blood peripheral phagocytes had both a considerably increased FOR production at the basal state, and a relatively impaired capacity of response to stimulating agents. Lavie (31) observed a significant age-dependent variation in the chemiluminescence response of mouse peritoneal macrophages.…”

“…The phagocytic system is the first line of defence that could be involved in the immune responses to stress. In humans, we have shown that overproduction of free oxygen radicals (FOR) can be a common response pathway of phagocytic cells to both stress and ageing, leading to abnormalities in other types of immune responses and to sensitivity to infections (13). On the other hand, failure of psychological defences, particularly depression, is more likely with ageing (14,15) and could add its own effects to those directly related to ageing (16)(17)(18).…”