Circulating heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in elderly members of a rural population from Cameroon: Association with infection and nutrition

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 359 - 363
• Main Authors: Njemini, R, Smitz, J, Demanet, C, Sosso, M, Mets, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-11-2011
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - blood; Aging - physiology; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Cameroon; Elderly in Africa; Elderly people; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Folic Acid - blood; Hsp70; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - analysis; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Infection; Infection - blood; Inflammation; Inflammation - blood; Internal Medicine; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status; Rural Population; Socioeconomic Factors; Vitamin B 12 - blood; Vitamin B12; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - blood; Cameroon; Infection; Vitamin B 12; Hsp70; Vitamin D; Elderly in Africa; Vitamin B12
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2011.01.005

Abstract Hsp are highly conserved cytoprotective proteins which have been repeatedly portrayed at elevated levels in various infectious diseases, and there are suggestions that the presence of infectious agents may possibly be the root cause of Hsp induction. As organisms age the vulnerability to illnesses such as infection and inflammation increases and late complications due to infectious agents are mostly observed in the older part of the population. Although it is well known that environmental conditions can modulate the susceptibility to infection, and that poor nutritional status can increase the risk of contracting infection when exposed to an infectious agent, the effects of environmental conditions and nutritional status on the heat shock response have not been investigated. Therefore, we studied the heat shock response in a special elderly population living in a remote area in Cameroon, where infection and parasitosis are endemic. Our results indicate a significant increase in Hsp70 serum levels with increasing degree of inflammation. We found negative correlations between Hsp70 levels and micronutrients including vitamin D, vitamin B12 , as well as folate, which could be linked to the immune modulating effects of these vitamins.