Allergic diseases in the elderly

Authors

Gabriele Di Lorenzo, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyFollow
Marcello Melluso, General Practitioner, Provincial Health Authority (ASP) 206 of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Alessandro Rodolico, Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Aurelio Seidita, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy

Abstract

Recent increases in allergic diseases are thought to be caused by better hygiene, Westernized diets, air pollution, climate change, and other factors that influence host microbiota, a key player in the induction and maintenance of immunoregulatory circuits and tolerance. The increase of allergic diseases in the elderly is also related to additional factors, such as various comorbidities that may interfere with the development and the type of allergic reactions. Immunosenescence plays a central role in these reactions, altering microbiota responses and triggering inflammageing. In addition, in the elderly, there is a shift from Th1 to Th2 immunity, thus favoring allergic responses. A better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for immunosenescence and its effects on allergic inflammation will most certainly lead to improved therapies

Recommended Citation

Di Lorenzo, Gabriele; Melluso, Marcello; Rodolico, Alessandro; and Seidita, Aurelio (2023) "Allergic diseases in the elderly," Translational Medicine @ UniSa: Vol. 25 : Iss. 2 , Article 3.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.37825/2239-9747.1046

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.