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Acute phase reactants in the elderly.
N Milman1, N Graudal, H C Andersen
1Department of Medicine P, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Summary
Healthy elderly individuals exhibit elevated levels of key acute phase reactants, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and fibrinogen, compared to younger adults. These inflammatory markers show significant correlations, suggesting a link in aging.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Gerontology
- Immunology
Background:
- Acute phase reactants (APRs) are proteins whose plasma concentrations increase or decrease in response to inflammation.
- Aging is associated with a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state, often termed 'inflammaging'.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare levels of specific acute phase reactants in healthy elderly versus healthy younger individuals.
- To investigate potential sex differences and correlations among these reactants in the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma fibrinogen, serum orosomucoid, serum alpha 1-antitrypsin, and serum haptoglobin.
- Comparative analysis between 267 healthy elderly subjects (median age 79) and 58 healthy younger subjects (median age 27).
Main Results:
- All measured acute phase reactants were significantly higher in the elderly group compared to the younger group (p < 0.001 for ESR, fibrinogen, alpha 1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin; p < 0.01 for orosomucoid).
- No significant sex differences were observed for any of the acute phase reactants in the elderly.
- Strong positive correlations were found among the acute phase reactants, notably between ESR and fibrinogen (r = 0.53, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Healthy aging is associated with elevated levels of key acute phase reactants, potentially reflecting a baseline inflammatory state.
- The findings suggest interconnectedness of these inflammatory markers in older adults and highlight the need for age-specific reference ranges.