Aging and Decreased Cutaneous Immunity: Lack of TNF-α May Be the Answer

Insufficient tumor necrosis factor affected the ability of T lymphocytes to migrate to the skin.

Our ability to mount immune responses in the skin declines with age, which is thought to be the major reason that older individuals are more susceptible to cutaneous infections and skin cancer. The basis for this decline is unclear. Now, researchers have examined the movement of regulatory and memory T cells during delayed hypersensitivity reaction in elders.

They found significantly lower cutaneous recall responses to intradermal bacterial and viral antigens in older (≥70) than in younger (≤40) subjects (P<0.0001). In vitro, surprisingly, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of many of the older individuals responded normally to the same recall antigens, indicating that the loss of immunity was localized to the skin while systemic immunit…

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)