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Immunosenescence and COVID-19.
Jacek M Witkowski1, Tamas Fulop2, Ewa Bryl3
1Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development
|April 4, 2022
Summary
Ageing alters immune system function, increasing COVID-19 severity. Individual immune history, not just age, influences SARS-CoV-2 response, with infection further impacting immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Immune system function declines with age, impacting both innate and adaptive immunity.
- This age-related immune dysfunction is linked to increased COVID-19 severity in older adults.
- Current understanding may overlook individual immune histories in explaining these associations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the mechanistic link between immune aging, individual immune history, and COVID-19 outcomes.
- To investigate the roles of immunosenescence and inflammaging in SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility and severity.
- To understand how SARS-CoV-2 infection itself contributes to an individual's immune history.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological and mechanistic data on immune aging and COVID-19.
- Analysis of the concepts of immunosenescence, inflammaging, and immunobiography.
- Conceptual framework integrating chronological age, immune history, and viral infection.
Main Results:
- Chronological and biological aging alone do not fully explain COVID-19 severity in the elderly.
- Immunosenescence and inflammaging, shaped by an individual's cumulative immune challenges (immunobiography), are critical factors.
- SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts immune function, adding to the individual's immunobiography and potentially exacerbating immune aging.
Conclusions:
- An individual's unique immune history (immunobiography) significantly influences their response to SARS-CoV-2, beyond chronological age.
- Immunosenescence and inflammaging can be aggravated by SARS-CoV-2 infection, and vice versa.
- A nuanced understanding of immune aging and individual experiences is crucial for predicting and managing COVID-19 outcomes.
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