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The Role of Aging in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Lung volume 193, pages 605–610 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been gathering interest in recent years and as such this review will focus on the potential contributions that age plays on its onset and prevalence. Environmental stress over time caused by the inhalation of foreign substances results in subsequent damage and repair of lung tissue. This damage prematurely causes a decrease in stem cell differentiation potential. In conjunction with declining proliferation, the correlation between age and general attenuation of the immune system allows for the introduction of viral components such as the Epstein–Barr virus which has been associated with lung injury, a causation which has not yet been investigated. But, regardless of environmental factors, cellular alterations due to, or in correlation with, age could result in the onset or prolonging of IPF. General genetic mutation and epigenetic methylations accumulate over a person’s lifespan while miRNA expression changes from birth to adulthood. This collection of alterations over time may cause dysregulation of expressed genetic material which can result in many age-related diseases including pulmonary fibrosis. Such alterations would be prevented by autophagy or cell-mediated apoptosis, but due to age-related dysregulations, these systems function at a diminished capacity. On the cellular level, the end result is an accumulation of dysfunctional organelles with damaged molecules, such as reactive oxygen species, and general genetic and epigenetic alterations resulting in excess generation of fibrous tissue and overall damage to the pulmonary system.

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Acknowledgments

NK was funded by the American Heart Association National Scientist Development Grant 09SDG2260957 and National Institutes of Health R01 HL105932 and the Joy McCann Culverhouse Endowment to the Division of Allergy and Immunology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 19, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Joseph Leung, Young Cho, Richard F. Lockey & Narasaiah Kolliputi

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  1. Joseph Leung
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  2. Young Cho
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  3. Richard F. Lockey
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  4. Narasaiah Kolliputi
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Correspondence to Narasaiah Kolliputi.

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Leung, J., Cho, Y., Lockey, R.F. et al. The Role of Aging in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Lung 193, 605–610 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-015-9729-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-015-9729-3

Keywords

  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
  • Aging
  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS)