Salivary Functional Antibody Secretion Is Reduced in Older Adults: A Potential Mechanism of Increased Susceptibility to Bacterial Infection in the Elderly

The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Jennifer L J HeaneyMark T Drayson

Abstract

Bacterial infections in the elderly are common and associated with high morbidity and mortality, with pneumonia the second commonest cause of death. Reductions in antibodies against specific bacterial antigens in saliva and serum could contribute to infection risk in older adults, although they have yet to be examined in relation to age. IgG, IgA and IgM antibody levels in paired saliva and serum samples were measured against 12 pneumococcal, 4 meningococcal and haemophilus polysaccharide antigens and diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in healthy younger (n = 28, 21-34 years) and older (n = 44, 60-80 years) adults. Older adults had lower antibody concentrations in saliva than young adults, with the most striking differences observed for salivary antibody secretion rates. In serum, older adults registered lower concentrations for only a minority of antibodies. Young adults who had previously received a polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccination (PPV23) had higher levels of anti-pneumococcal antibodies in serum and in saliva. Only minor differences were observed in antibody levels between older adults who had/had not received PPV23, and there was no evidence of memory in saliva. Age differences were much greater in salivary antibodies t...Continue Reading

References

Apr 1, 1985·The Journal of the American Dental Association·P C FoxB J Baum
Jun 1, 1983·The Journal of Infectious Diseases·H KäyhtyP H Mäkelä
Jul 1, 1996·Physiology & Behavior·I D MileticE A Sattely-Miller
Feb 1, 1997·Oral Microbiology and Immunology·R S PercivalS J Challacombe
Mar 24, 2000·Brain, Behavior, and Immunity·P EvansS Lambert
Feb 15, 2001·The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal·S A Plotkin
Nov 1, 2002·The Lancet Infectious Diseases·Gaëtan Gavazzi, Karl-Heinz Krause
May 10, 2003·Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology·A NurkkaJ A G Scott
Apr 17, 2007·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Per Brandtzaeg
Aug 24, 2007·The Lancet Infectious Diseases·Katherine L O'BrienDavid Goldblatt
Mar 11, 2009·Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)·Nicolette C Bishop, Michael Gleeson
Jan 1, 2009·Aging Health·John E StupkaMarcos I Restrepo
May 27, 2011·The New England Journal of Medicine·Michael C ThigpenUNKNOWN Emerging Infections Programs Network
Jun 17, 2011·Epidemiology and Infection·H LevineR D Balicer
Sep 6, 2011·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Matthew P RubachAndrew T Pavia
Sep 26, 2012·Journal of Clinical Immunology·Katharina SchützUlrich Baumann
Oct 20, 2012·Biologicals : Journal of the International Association of Biological Standardization·Ian FeaversTieQun Zhou
Apr 16, 2013·Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics·Janet M Lord
Feb 8, 2014·The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine·Cassandra L KroneDebby Bogaert

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Nov 26, 2016·Biomarkers : Biochemical Indicators of Exposure, Response, and Susceptibility to Chemicals·Jennifer L J HeaneyMark T Drayson
Apr 21, 2017·Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI·Hugh AdlerJamie Rylance
May 11, 2020·The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·Claire E GustafsonJörg J Goronzy
Mar 16, 2021·Frontiers in Public Health·Adrian M ShieldsAlex G Richter

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Bacterial Pneumonia (ASM)

Bacterial pneumonia is a prevalent and costly infection that is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients of all ages. Here is the latest research.

Bacterial Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is a prevalent and costly infection that is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients of all ages. Here is the latest research.