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The age-related increase in low-grade systemic inflammation (Inflammaging) is not driven by cytomegalovirus infection
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by the development of low-grade systemic inflammation, termed 'inflammaging', characterized by raised serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Importantly, inflammaging is implicated in the pathogenesis of several of the major age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia and is associated with increased mortality. The incidence of infection with the persistent herpes virus cytomegalovirus (CMV) also increases with age. Cross-sectional studies have proposed CMV infection as a significant driver of inflammaging, but a definitive case for CMV as a causative agent in inflammaging has not yet been made. We studied longitudinally 249 subjects (153 men, 96 women) who participated in the Hertfordshire Ageing Study at baseline (1993/5, mean age 67·5 years) and at 10 year follow-up. At both times, anthropometric measurements were made and subjects provided blood samples for analysis of inflammatory status and CMV seropositivity. In the cohort as a whole, serum CRP (P < 0·02) and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα (P < 0·001) and IL-6 (P < 0·001) were increased between baseline and follow-up sampling whereas levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were decreased (P < 0·001). These changes to cytokine status over time occurred equally in the 60% of subjects who were seropositive for CMV at baseline and follow-up, the 8% who were CMV negative at baseline but who became CMV positive by the 10 year follow-up, and also in the 32% who were CMV seronegative throughout. We conclude that CMV infection is not a primary causative factor in the age-related increase in systemic inflammation.
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“However, a longitudinal study of 249 research participants followed for 10 years has strongly suggested that HCMV infection is not a primary causative factor in the age-related increase in systemic inflammation (48).”
From Immunosenescence and Its Hallmarks: How to Oppose Aging Strategically? A Review of Potential Options for Therapeutic Intervention (2019) · cites this paper as [48]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bartlett, D. B., Firth, C. M., Phillips, A. C., Moss, P., Baylis, D., Syddall, H., Sayer, A. A., Cooper, C., & Lord, J. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Lord, Janet M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Aging Cell
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-07-12
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 912-915
- ISSN
- 1474-9718 (ISSN-L)
- 1474-9726
- OpenAlex
- W1527094386
- Cited by
- 278
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 16.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Aging Cell (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Institutional Research Archive (University of Birmingham) (acceptedVersion)
- Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (ACF-2007-26-005, NF-SI-0508-10082, DRF-2011-04-011)
- Medical Research Council (MR/K00414X/1)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/H043772/1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Viral-associated cancers and disorders
- Keywords
- inflammaging, low-grade inflammation, cytomegalovirus infection, aging, C-reactive protein, inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, interleukin-6, IL-10, CMV seropositivity, age-related diseases
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Aged, C-Reactive Protein, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Protozoan Proteins, Interleukin-6, Cytokines, Interleukin-10
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