Quantitative and Qualitative Alterations of Acute-phase Proteins in Healthy Elderly Persons

• Published in: Age and ageing Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 224 - 230
• Main Authors: BALLOU, STANLEY P., LOZANSKI, GERARD B., HODDER, SALLY, RZEWNICKI, DEBRA L., MION, LRRAINE C., SIPE, JEAN D., FORD, AMASA B., KUSHNER, IRVING
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-05-1996; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Acute phase reaction; Acute-Phase Proteins - analysis; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging (Biology); Aging - immunology; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Female; Gerontology; Health; Health aspects; Humans; Immune Tolerance - immunology; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Older people; Orosomucoid - analysis; Prospective Studies; Proteins; Reference Values; Serum Amyloid A Protein - analysis
• ISSN: 0002-0729; 1468-2834
• DOI: 10.1093/ageing/25.3.224

To assess acute-phase proteins in relation to ageing, we measured serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid-A protein (SAA), alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) and glycosylation microheterogeneity of AGP in 131 healthy elderly individuals (aged ≥65 years) living independently in the community, and 47 healthy younger individuals. Concentrations of CRP in the older persons (median = 3.0μg/ml) were significantly greater than in the younger group (median = 0.9μg/ml, p = 0.0003). Concentrations of SAA and AGP were similar in the two groups, but AGP glycosylation forms with reduced binding affinity for concanavalin-A (changes that have been observed in chronic inflammatory states) were increased in the elderly sample (p < 0.0001). These findings suggest that both quantitative and qualitative alterations of acute-phase proteins occur with physiological ageing in humans.