The relationship between age and production of @entity5 @entity39 factor-alpha in healthy volunteers and XXXX with @entity712 .

@entity1 @entity712 @entity39 @entity5 @entity310
BACKGROUND: Ageing is associated with an altered immune response. Elevated plasma levels of @entity5 @entity39 factor-alpha ( @entity310 ) are present in @entity1 with advanced @entity712 ( @entity712 ). However, the relationship between age and the immune response in @entity712 is unknown. METHODS: We investigated the relationship between age and the @entity310 generating capacity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in nine healthy control subjects (mean age 51.6+/-3.6 years, age range 39-75 years) and 22 stable @entity1 with @entity712 (mean age 68.3+/-1.5 years, age range 52-78 years, NYHA class 3.0+/-0.2). We also tested the @entity310 generating capacity of all control subjects and 18 @entity712 @entity1 in whole blood cultures. RESULTS: Subjects were subgrouped according to baseline @entity310 secretion in PBMC cultures into low- and high-responders, with the latter producing @entity310 even without LPS stimulation. High-responders produced more @entity310 than low-responders at all LPS doses (0.001-10 ng/ml, P<0.0001, repeated measures ANOVA), and high-responders were significantly older than low-responders (controls: 65.8+/-9.2 vs. 47.5+/-2.5 years; @entity1 : 71.9+/-1.9 vs. 65.9+/-1.9 years, both P<0.05). Age correlated with @entity310 production in both @entity1 and controls. This effect was independent of NYHA class. CONCLUSIONS: LPS-responsiveness appears to relate to age in both healthy controls and @entity712 @entity1 . When assessing the immune status of @entity712 @entity1 , age should therefore be considered an important confounding factor. In whole blood these findings could only be confirmed at the highest LPS concentration used, thus suggesting that certain factors in the blood may be able to abolish LPS activity at lower concentrations.
