Rhinitis in the geriatric population

The current geriatric population in the United States accounts for approximately 12% of the total population and is projected to reach nearly 20% (71.5 million people) by 2030[1]. With this expansion of the number of older adults, physicians will face the common complaint of rhinitis with increasing frequency. Nasal symptoms pose a significant burden on the health of older people and require attention to improve quality of life. Several mechanisms likely underlie the pathogenesis of rhinitis in these patients, including inflammatory conditions and the influence of aging on nasal physiology, with the potential for interaction between the two. Various treatments have been proposed to manage this condition; however, more work is needed to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of the various forms of geriatric rhinitis and to develop more effective therapies for this important patient population

Effects of Dextranases on Attachment of Streptococcus mutans to Hydroxyapatite

A Fusarium dextranase and a Penicillium dextranase were compared for their relative ability to quantitatively reduce the adsorption of (3)H-labeled Steptococcus mutans cells onto hydroxyapatite. Fusarium dextranase-treated hydroxyapatite disks caused a statistically significant decrease in the hydroxyapatite adsorption of both the OMZ 176 and NCTC 10449 strains of S. mutans relative to untreated control disks. The extent of initial bacterial adsorption was not promoted by sucrose-dependent glucan synthesis. Since the Fusarium dextranase has a much greater affinity for hydroxyapatite than the Penicillium dextranase, it could represent an enzyme with improved decay-preventive therapeutic properties. This was concluded because the Fusarium dextranase may interfere with both the initial attachment and later glucan-dependent accumulation of dental plaque microorganisms

Unusual pattern of surface marker expression on peripheral lymphocytes from aged humans suggestive of a population of less differentiated cells.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies were used to detect the surface antigens T3, T4, T8, and T10 on the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 26 aged (14 female and 12 male, mean age 89) and 28 young (14 female and 14 male, mean age 29) subjects. In the aged subjects, independent of the sex of the donor, the sum of the percent or absolute number of T4- and T8-positive cells was significantly greater than the number of T3-positive cells (p less than 0.001). There was also a significant increase in the percent and absolute number of cells positive for the T10 antigen with age (p less than 0.01). Analysis of individual cell surface markers revealed that the percent and absolute number of T3-positive cells was decreased only in old females, with no difference between old males and the young donors. The expression of T4 was not affected by age or sex, but both the percent and absolute number of T8-positive cells were decreased in females relative to males, with no effect due to age. These findings are consistent with the presence of a population of peripheral T cells in advanced age with a thymocyte-like pattern of surface marker expression. This conclusion is supported by previous work showing a less differentiated pattern of LDH isoenzyme distribution in the T cells of persons of advanced age.</jats:p