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Infections in elderly 'caused by imbalance in immune system'25 July 2006 Imbalances in the immune systems of elderly people could be making them prone to illness and infection after surgery or from cuts and falls, new research suggests. The findings come from two separate studies at the University of Birmingham and the University College Medical School, London. The first study revealed that hormone levels are imbalanced in elderly people. Two types of hormone are produced as the body responds to physical stress - cortisol, which suppresses the immune defence system, and DHEAS, which stimulates it. The study revealed that the levels of cortisol are higher than the levels of DHEAS in elderly patients. This may mean the body actively lowers its own immunity levels, impairing the function of white blood cells, which fight infection. Lead researcher Professor Janet Lord explained: "What is particularly exciting about this finding is that in laboratory experiments we can improve the efficiency of white blood cells by adding DHEAS. "We are now going to explore whether treating patients with this hormone can help them fight infections." The second study revealed that the immune response specifically in the skin, rather than the whole body, may be less in older people than in younger people. This may result in skin infections after surgery, and longer hospital stays. Professor Arne Akbar, who led the study, added: "This is a new and exciting concept; the challenge now is to understand what the deficiency is and how to reverse it." More information
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