Haq Kamran, McElhaney Janet E
Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada, Sudbury, ON, Canada P3E 5J1.
Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada, Sudbury, ON, Canada P3E 5J1.
Immunol Lett. 2014 Nov;162(1 Pt B):323-8. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2014.06.009. Epub 2014 Jun 25.
Respiratory infections are a leading cause of infectious disease burden worldwide especially among the elderly. Furthermore, a direct relationship between ageing and susceptibility to infections has been reported, which may be caused by impaired immune function, frailty and degree of exposure to infectious diseases. Many complex changes, including structural and age-associated decline in immunity are associated with increased pulmonary diseases worldwide and result in a high age-related disease burden. The common respiratory infections that present serious risks for the elderly include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and a number of bacterial pathogens including pneumococcus and tuberculosis. Vaccines are available for a limited number of these pathogens including influenza, pneumococcal and pertussis vaccines. This mini review article examines the age-related changes in immune function that predispose the elderly population to respiratory infections and potential loss of vaccine efficacy with a focus on ageing and influenza infections.
呼吸道感染是全球传染病负担的主要原因，在老年人中尤为如此。此外，已有报道称衰老与感染易感性之间存在直接关系，这可能是由免疫功能受损、身体虚弱以及接触传染病的程度所致。包括免疫结构和与年龄相关的衰退在内的许多复杂变化，与全球肺部疾病增加相关，并导致与年龄相关的高疾病负担。对老年人构成严重风险的常见呼吸道感染包括流感、呼吸道合胞病毒，以及包括肺炎球菌和结核杆菌在内的多种细菌病原体。针对其中少数病原体有疫苗可用，包括流感疫苗、肺炎球菌疫苗和百日咳疫苗。这篇小型综述文章探讨了导致老年人群易患呼吸道感染的免疫功能与年龄相关的变化，以及疫苗效力的潜在丧失，重点是衰老与流感感染。
