Incidence of allergic diseases in an elderly population.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol
; 32(1): 165-70, 2010 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19947823
ABSTRACT
Recent years have shown a progressive increase of allergic disease in the elderly population worldwide. Naturally, this phenomenon has coincided with attempts to guarantee the best possible quality of life for this age group. As a result, diseases that were previously overlooked are attracting ever greater attention. An epidemiological study of allergic manifestations in the elderly conducted in all consecutive patients referred to an Allergology Unit over a three-month period at the beginning of 2008 showed that 15% belonged to the elderly population and among these, 51.8 % were suffering from an allergic reaction to drugs. Skin manifestations, including both urticaria and eczema, accounted for 71.4% of cases but only in 13.8% of these patients was there a diagnosis of an allergic reaction made and the allergen responsible individuated. Rhinitis was present in 16.8 % of the patients and food allergy in 8 %. Certainly, age-induced modifications in the immunological system can be responsible for allergic reactions. In fact, non specific immunity components such as the production of mucus or a reduced function of the T- and IL-2 cells can induce the onset of symptoms referable to allergic disease. Further studies are ongoing to gain a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms that could justify the development in the elderly population of a cytokine phenotype that is more prone to develop allergic manifestations, and to assess the true incidence of respiratory, food and drug allergies in this stage of life.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hipersensibilidade
Tipo de estudo:
Incidence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Aged80
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Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol
Assunto da revista:
ALERGIA E IMUNOLOGIA
/
FARMACOLOGIA
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2010
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália