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Trombetta CM, Accardi G, Aiello A, Calabrò A, Caruso C, Ligotti ME, Marchi S, Montomoli E, Neto MM, Temperton N, Candore G. Centenarians, semi and supercentenarians, COVID-19 and Spanish flu: a serological assessment to gain insight into the resilience of older centenarians to COVID-19. Immun Ageing 2024; 21:44. [PMID: 38937774 PMCID: PMC11210044 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-024-00450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although it is well known that the older people have been the most susceptible to COVID-19, there are conflicting data on the susceptibility of centenarians. Two epidemiological study have shown that older centenarians (> 101 years old at the time of the 2020 pandemic peak) are more resilient than the remaining centenarians, suggesting that this resilience might be linked to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. To gain insight into this matter, specifically whether the resilience of older centenarians to SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to the Spanish Flu they had been affected by, we conducted a retrospective serological study. This study examined serum samples from 33 centenarians, encompassing semi- (aged > 104 < 110 years, N = 7) and supercentenarians (aged > 109 years, N = 4), born between 1905 and 1922, against both SARS-CoV-2 and 1918 H1N1 pseudotype virus. RESULTS Anamnestic and laboratory data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 8 centenarians. The infection appeared to have been asymptomatic or mild, and hospitalization was not required, despite 3 out of 8 being between 109 and 110 years old. The levels of anti-spike antibodies in centenarians infected and/or vaccinated were higher, although not significantly, than those produced by a random sample of seventy-year-old individuals used as controls. All centenarians had antibody levels against the 1918 H1N1 virus significantly higher (almost 50 times) than those observed in the quoted group of seventy-year-old subjects, confirming the key role in maintaining immunological memory from a priming that occurred over 100 years ago. Centenarians whose blood was collected prior to the pandemic outbreak demonstrated neutralising antibodies against the 1918 H1N1 virus, but all these subjects tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION This retrospective study shows that older centenarians are quite resilient to COVID-19, as they are capable of producing good levels of neutralising antibodies and experiencing mild or asymptomatic disease. This could be attributed to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic through mechanisms other than the presence of cross-reactive antibodies between the 1918 H1N1 virus and SARS-CoV-2. Another possibility is that the association is purely temporal, solely correlated with the advanced age of resilient centenarians compared to those born after 1918, since older centenarians are known to have better control of immune-inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Maria Trombetta
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- VisMederi Research srl, Siena, Italy
| | - Giulia Accardi
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Aiello
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Calabrò
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Calogero Caruso
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Mattia Emanuela Ligotti
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Research, ISMETT-IRCCS Mediterranean Institute forTransplants and Highly Specialized Therapies, Palermo, Italy
| | - Serena Marchi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Emanuele Montomoli
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- VisMederi Research srl, Siena, Italy
- VisMederi srl, Siena, Italy
| | - Martin Mayora Neto
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | - Nigel Temperton
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | - Giuseppina Candore
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Cruces-Salguero S, Larrañaga I, García-Galindo A, Armañanzas R, Mar J, Matheu A. Analysis of response of centenarians of the Basque Country to COVID-19. J Am Geriatr Soc 2024; 72:1926-1929. [PMID: 38445849 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cruces-Salguero
- Cellular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Igor Larrañaga
- Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Debagoiena Integrated Healthcare Organisation, Research Unit, Arrasate-Mondragón, Spain
- Kronikgune Institute for Health Services Research, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Alberto García-Galindo
- Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- TECNUN School of Engineering, Universidad de Navarra, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Rubén Armañanzas
- Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- TECNUN School of Engineering, Universidad de Navarra, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Javier Mar
- Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Debagoiena Integrated Healthcare Organisation, Research Unit, Arrasate-Mondragón, Spain
- Kronikgune Institute for Health Services Research, Barakaldo, Spain
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ander Matheu
- Cellular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento (CIBERfes), Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain
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Caruso C, Marcon G, Accardi G, Aiello A, Calabrò A, Ligotti ME, Tettamanti M, Franceschi C, Candore G. Role of Sex and Age in Fatal Outcomes of COVID-19: Women and Older Centenarians Are More Resilient. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2638. [PMID: 36768959 PMCID: PMC9916733 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present paper, we have analysed the role of age and sex in the fatal outcome of COVID-19, as there are conflicting results in the literature. As such, we have answered three controversial questions regarding this aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) Have women been more resilient than men? (2) Did centenarians die less than the remaining older people? (3) Were older centenarians more resistant to SARS-CoV-2 than younger centenarians? The literature review demonstrated that: (1) it is women who are more resilient, in agreement with data showing that women live longer than men even during severe famines and epidemics; however, there are conflicting data regarding centenarian men; (2) centenarians overall did not die less than remaining older people, likely linked to their frailty; (3) in the first pandemic wave of 2020, centenarians > 101 years old (i.e., born before 1919), but not "younger centenarians", have been more resilient to COVID-19 and this may be related to the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, although it is unclear what the mechanisms might be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calogero Caruso
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Marcon
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università di Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Dipartinento di Area Medica, Università di Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Accardi
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Aiello
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Calabrò
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mattia Emanuela Ligotti
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mauro Tettamanti
- Laboratorio di Epidemiologia Geriatrica, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Candore
- Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy
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Caruso C, Accardi G, Aiello A, Calabrò A, Ligotti ME, Candore G. Centenarians born before 1919 are resistant to COVID-19. Aging Clin Exp Res 2023; 35:217-220. [PMID: 36319938 PMCID: PMC9628492 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-022-02287-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Although mortality from COVID-19 progressively increases with age, there are controversial data in the literature on the probability of centenarians dying from COVID-19. Moreover, it has been claimed that men in their 90s and 100s are more resilient than women. To gain insight into this matter, we analysed, according to gender, mortality data during the first year of pandemic of Sicilian nonagenarians and centenarians. We used mortality data from the 2019 as a control. The crude excess mortality between the two years was calculated. Data on deaths of Sicilian 90 + years show that, in line with what is known about the different response to infections between the two genders, oldest females are more resilient to COVID-19 than males. Moreover, centenarians born before 1919, but not "younger centenarians", are resilient to COVID-19. This latter datum should be related to the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, although the mechanisms involved are not clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calogero Caruso
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Accardi
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Aiello
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Calabrò
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mattia Emanuela Ligotti
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Candore
- grid.10776.370000 0004 1762 5517Laboratorio di Immunopatologia e Immunosenescenza, Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Dyer AH, Fallon A, Noonan C, Dolphin H, O'Farrelly C, Bourke NM, O'Neill D, Kennelly SP. Managing the Impact of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities: An Update. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022; 23:1590-1602. [PMID: 35922016 PMCID: PMC9250924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Older adults in nursing homes are at greatest risk of morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nursing home residents constituted one-third to more than half of all deaths during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this, widespread adaptation of infection prevention and control measures and the supply and use of personal protective equipment resulted in a significant decrease in nursing home infections and deaths. For nursing homes, the most important determinant of experiencing a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the first instance appears to be community-transmission levels (particularly with variants of concern), although nursing home size and quality, for-profit status, and sociodemographic characteristics are also important. Use of visitation bans, imposed to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on residents, must be delicately balanced against their impact on resident, friend or family, and staff well-being. The successful rollout of primary vaccination has resulted in a sharp decrease in morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes. However, emerging evidence suggests that vaccine efficacy may wane over time, and the use of a third or additional vaccine "booster" doses in nursing home residents restores protection afforded by primary vaccination. Ongoing monitoring of vaccine efficacy in terms of infection, morbidity, and mortality is crucial in this vulnerable group in informing ongoing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosting strategies. Here, we detail the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on nursing home residents and discuss important considerations in the management of nursing home SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. We additionally examine the use of testing strategies, nonpharmacologic outbreak control measures and vaccination strategies in this cohort. Finally, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the sector is reflected on as we emphasize the need for adoption of universal standards of medical care and integration with wider public health infrastructure in nursing homes in order to provide a safe and effective long-term care sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam H Dyer
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Aoife Fallon
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Claire Noonan
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Helena Dolphin
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cliona O'Farrelly
- Comparative Immunology, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Dublin, Ireland; School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nollaig M Bourke
- Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Inflammageing Research Group, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Desmond O'Neill
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sean P Kennelly
- Department of Age-Related Healthcare, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Péterfi A, Mészáros Á, Szarvas Z, Pénzes M, Fekete M, Fehér Á, Lehoczki A, Csípő T, Fazekas-Pongor V. Comorbidities and increased mortality of COVID-19 among the elderly: A systematic review. Physiol Int 2022; 109:163-176. [PMID: 35575986 DOI: 10.1556/2060.2022.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of current review is to conduct a systematic overview of articles published between 2019 and 2021 on the relationship of comorbidities and mortality due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the elderly population. Methods We conducted a systematic search on PubMed for articles published between 2019 and 2021 to identify any cohort and case-control studies that investigated the relationship of comorbidities and COVID-19 mortality among the elderly, defined as 60 years of age and above. Databases were searched independently by two authors. Disagreements were resolved by the inclusion of a third investigator. Reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded from our systematic review. Results A total of 15 studies were selected for our systematic review. Of the included studies, 3 were case-control, 3 were prospective cohort studies and 9 were retrospective cohort studies. As for size, 10 studies were conducted on populations of <1000 participants, 3 ranging from 1001 to 10,000, and 2 on populations of >10,000 individuals. The included studies found that the presence of certain conditions, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal diseases, malignancies, diseases of the nervous system and diabetes are associated to increased mortality in populations that consisted of elderly patients. Conclusion Results of our systematic review suggest that comorbidities contribute to increased COVID-19 mortality among the elderly. The detrimental effect of comorbidities and advanced age on the immune response could lead to a more frequent occurrence of symptomatic and severe infections with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Péterfi
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágota Mészáros
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Szarvas
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melinda Pénzes
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mónika Fekete
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Fehér
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea Lehoczki
- 2 National Institute for Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, South Pest Central Hospital, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csípő
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vince Fazekas-Pongor
- 1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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7
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Gellert P, Kohl R, Jürchott K, Hering C, Gangnus A, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Kuhlmey A, Schwinger A. Centenarians from long-term care facilities and COVID-19-relevant hospital admissions. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022; 23:1117-1118. [PMID: 35671838 PMCID: PMC9110539 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Gellert
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Raphael Kohl
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Christian Hering
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annabell Gangnus
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Adelheid Kuhlmey
- Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Blagosklonny MV. No limit to maximal lifespan in humans: how to beat a 122-year-old record. Oncoscience 2021; 8:110-119. [PMID: 34869788 PMCID: PMC8636159 DOI: 10.18632/oncoscience.547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although average human life expectancy is rising, the maximum lifespan is not increasing. Leading demographers claim that human lifespan is fixed at a natural limit around 122 years. However, there is no fixed limit in animals. In animals, anti-aging interventions (dietary restrictions, rapamycin, genetic manipulations) postpone age-related diseases and thus automatically extend maximum lifespan. In humans, anti-aging interventions have not been yet implemented. Instead, by treating individual diseases, medical interventions allow a patient to live longer (despite morbidity), expanding morbidity span. In contrast, slowly aging individuals (centenarians) enter very old age in good health, but, when diseases finally develop, they do not receive thorough medical care and die fast. Although the oldest old die from age-related diseases, death certificates often list "old age", meaning that diseases were not even diagnosed and even less treated. The concept of absolute compression of morbidity is misleading in humans (in truth, there is no other way to compress morbidity as by denying thorough medical care) and false in animals (in truth, anti-aging interventions do not condense morbidity, they postpone it). Anti-aging interventions such as rapamycin may potentially extend both healthspan and maximal lifespan in humans. Combining anti-aging medicine with cutting-edge medical care, regardless of chronological age, will extend maximal lifespan further.
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9
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Poulain M, Chambre D, Pes GM. Centenarians exposed to the Spanish flu in their early life better survived to COVID-19. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:21855-21865. [PMID: 34570724 PMCID: PMC8507269 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Although it is known that mortality due to COVID-19 increases progressively with age, the probability of dying from this serious infection among the oldest-old population is little known, and controversial data are found in literature. Methods: We examine the mortality by year and month of birth of Belgians who had turned 100 during the current COVID-19 pandemic and whose birth fell on the years around the end the First World War and the outbreak of the H1N1 "Spanish flu" pandemic. Findings: The COVID-19 mortality of the "older" centenarians is significantly lower than that of "younger" centenarians, and this difference between the two groups reaches a maximum on August 1, 1918 as the discriminating cut-off date of birth. Having excluded the plausible impact of the end of WWI it becomes clear that this date corresponds to the time of reporting the first victims of the Spanish flu pandemic in Belgium. Interpretation: In this study, the striking temporal coincidence between the outbreak of the Spanish flu epidemic and the birth of the cohorts characterized by greater fragility towards COVID-19 in 2020 strongly suggests a link between exposure to 1918 H1N1 pandemic influenza and resistance towards 2020 SARS-Cov-2. It can be speculated that the lifetime persistence of cross-reactive immune mechanisms has enabled centenarians exposed to the Spanish flu to overcome the threat of COVID-19 a century later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Poulain
- IACCHOS Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Estonian Institute for Population Studies, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Giovanni Mario Pes
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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10
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Kordowitzki P. Centenarians and COVID-19: Is There a Link between Longevity and Better Immune Defense? Gerontology 2021; 68:556-557. [PMID: 34510046 PMCID: PMC8450859 DOI: 10.1159/000518905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Kordowitzki
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland.,Institute for Veterinary Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
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11
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Foley MK, Searle SD, Toloue A, Booth R, Falkenham A, Falzarano D, Rubino S, Francis ME, McNeil M, Richardson C, LeBlanc J, Oldford S, Gerdts V, Andrew MK, McNeil SA, Clarke B, Rockwood K, Kelvin DJ, Kelvin AA. Centenarians and extremely old people living with frailty can elicit durable SARS-CoV-2 spike specific IgG antibodies with virus neutralization functions following virus infection as determined by serological study. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 37:100975. [PMID: 34222846 PMCID: PMC8235995 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2) has led to more than 165 million COVID-19 cases and >3.4 million deaths worldwide. Epidemiological analysis has revealed that the risk of developing severe COVID-19 increases with age. Despite a disproportionate number of older individuals and long-term care facilities being affected by SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, very little is understood about the immune responses and development of humoral immunity in the extremely old person after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we conducted a serological study to investigate the development of humoral immunity in centenarians following a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a long-term care facility. METHODS Extreme aged individuals and centenarians who were residents in a long-term care facility and infected with or exposed to SARS-CoV-2 were investigated between April and June 2020 for the development of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Blood samples were collected from positive and bystander individuals 30 and 60 days after original diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Plasma was used to quantify IgG, IgA, and IgM isotypes and subsequent subclasses of antibodies specific for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The function of anti-spike was then assessed by virus neutralization assays against the native SARS-CoV-2 virus. FINDINGS Fifteen long-term care residents were investigated for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All individuals had a Clinical Frailty scale score ≥5 and were of extreme older age or were centenarians. Six women with a median age of 98.8 years tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Anti-spike IgG antibody titers were the highest titers observed in our cohort with all IgG positive individuals having virus neutralization ability. Additionally, 5 out of the 6 positive participants had a robust IgA anti-SARS-CoV-2 response. In all 5, antibodies were detected after 60 days from initial diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary K. Foley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Samuel D. Searle
- Divsion of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London, London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, England United Kingdom
| | - Ali Toloue
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ryan Booth
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Alec Falkenham
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Darryl Falzarano
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Salvatore Rubino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Magen E. Francis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Mara McNeil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Christopher Richardson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jason LeBlanc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3K 6R8 Canada
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Sharon Oldford
- Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3K 6R8 Canada
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Volker Gerdts
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Melissa K. Andrew
- Divsion of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Shelly A. McNeil
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
| | - Barry Clarke
- Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Kenneth Rockwood
- Divsion of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - David J. Kelvin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3K 6R8 Canada
- Laboratory of Immunity, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Rd, Jinping, Shantou, China
| | - Alyson A. Kelvin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia, Halifax, B3K 6R8 Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
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