Anticardiolipin antibodies in two elderly subpopulations

Previous studies have reported that the prevalence of certain autoantibodies is nonspecifically elevated in elderly subjects due to immunoscenescence. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in two elderly subpopulations: Two hundred and eighteen elderly were included in this study; 63 healthy elderly had a prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies of zero; 155 unselected frail elderly were prospectively evaluated and the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies in this group was found to be significantly increased at 18.7%. Subdivision of this group into those elderly clinically assessed as suffering from dementia showed a prevalence of 26.5% and stroke a prevalence of 31.6%. Both were found to be statistically significantly increased when compared with both the healthy and frail elderly population. Subdivision of the dementia patients into those suffering from multi-infarct type dementia (MID) and those suffering from Alzheimer's type dementia (AD) showed an association of 44% and 20%, respectively. The association of MID with aCL was significant. This study demonstrates therefore that anticardiolipin antibodies are not nonspecifically elevated in elderly subjects but are significantly elevated in elderly subjects with strokes and multiple infarct dementia.