Influence of Age on Oxidative Bursts (Chemiluminescence) of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil Leukocytes

Abstract

The release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during neutrophil oxidative bursts is the last of a sequence of different steps leading to the neutralization of pathogen microorganisms. Using luminol-amplified chemiluminescence (LACL), the oxidative burst activity of neutrophils in elderly people (≥75 years) was compared with that in younger controls (39 years on average) after activation with both particulate (Candida albicans) and soluble (formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine; fMLP) stimulants. After Candida stimulation, a reduction in LACL was observed in the elderly subjects in comparison with the controls, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. After fMLP stimulation, the reduction in LACL was significant, thus suggesting that the Candida pathway of chemiluminescence production seems to be less affected than the fMLP pathway. This finding raises questions concerning the complex differences in the pathways of cell killing and ROS generation, and their efficacy in the elderly. Various possible explanations are discussed, all of which need further investigation.

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“…26 Several authors have reported normal superoxide production by neutrophils in response to FMLP, 19,31 whilst others have shown reduced responses. 35,36 Activation of PLD by FMLP receptor ligation leads to production of phosphatidic acid, which is able to activate NADPH oxidase. 37 As FMLPinduced activation of PLD is not affected by age, 29,30 this supports those studies reporting a normal neutrophil superoxide response in the elderly.…”