Spanish scientific discovery: age not only weakens the immune system, but also leads to infection with the herpes virus

Spanish scientific discovery: age not only weakens the immune system, but also leads to infection with the herpes virus

Spanish scientific discovery: age not only weakens the immune system, but also leads to infection with the herpes virus

Researchers from the University of Cordoba discovered that the herpes virus “cytomegalovirus” contributes to the chronic deterioration of the defenses of the human body … 11/24/2021, Sputnik Mundo

2021-11-24T13:25+0000

2021-11-24T13:25+0000

2021-11-24T19: 40 + 0000

💗 health

Cordoba

virus

Investigation

immune system

Science

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A research team from the University of Córdoba (UCO), along with Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Córdoba (Imibic) and the University of Tübingen (Germany), determined that CMV is able to accelerate the erosion and rupture of the immune system regardless regardless of age. In other words, not only is there a chronological factor, led by physicians Rafael Solana and Alejandra Pera, and with the support of researcher Fakhry Hassouna, the group has been studying for years whether wear and tear to the immune system is caused by age or if CMV is also involved. To this end, they distributed 119 people into three age groups (young, middle-aged and old), who were in turn divided into two further groups: those who had CMV infection and those who did not. They analyzed changes in T lymphocytes in both cases. The sample included a group of healthy German individuals, and it was observed that infection with the herpes virus in some people caused the expansion of inflammatory cells and caused atherosclerosis, with the ability to cause various vascular disorders and even increased 20% chances of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. “Not all people who contract the virus generate these types of cells, but those who do get them, build up and when they cross a threshold, they can cause serious problems,” Dr. Bera said in a press release for the T-lymphocyte Service, the key cells of the immune system responsible for collecting The defense against viruses or the cellular changes produced by cancer are T lymphocytes. When confronted, these lymphocytes generate a memory with those that they recognize in subsequent infections at an earlier time. The result is that the reaction time is shorter, and CMV is a very common type of herpes virus, which can spread in their body with age, reactivating from time to time. Although CMV does not produce any kind of symptoms, it causes a strong effect on the immune system, since it must constantly control it by creating a memory, which erodes it often. The process of the immune system deteriorating with age is called immune withdrawal. Researcher Alejandra Pera concludes, “The advantage of knowing that all of this may have a viral origin is that we can stop it. If it was exclusively related to age, we couldn’t stop it.” The research group is also studying the behavior of these cells in heart patients to determine the risk threshold. And also the occurrence of CMV infection in the immune system associated with COVID-19. All research is funded by the Carlos III Health Institute, the Ministry of Health and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), as well as other regional bodies.