Here - American Geriatrics Society

P APER
A BSTRACTS
control collagen had greater expression of alpha 2 integrin, which mediates
cell-extracellular matrix interactions (Hynes, 1987). In conclusion,
collagen from aged mice that have received short-term caloricrestriction
or rapamycin display impaired capacity to polymerize into
a 3D matrix. Fibroblasts placed in these gels display lower cell count
and increased expression of SPARC, but decreased alpha 2 integrin.
These data show that short-term caloric-restriction and rapamycin interventions
alter collagen’s structural properties and influence fibroblast
behavior in ways that might impair wound healing.
P20
Platelet and Monocyte Responses are Impaired in Elderly Septic
Patients.
M. Rondina, 1 C. K. Grissom, 2 E. S. Harris, 1 S. Kalva, 1 S. Men, 1
G. A. Zimmerman, 1 A. S. Weyrich. 1 1. Internal Medicine, Univ. of
Utah, SLC, UT; 2. Critical Care, IMC, SLC, UT.
Supported By: Supported by grants from the NIH (HL091754,
HL066277, K23HL092161, ULI-RRO25764).
The ligand P-selectin (P-SEL) on the platelet surface allows for
heterotypic formation of platelet-monocyte aggregates (PMAs) that
augment innate immune responses. Impaired PMA formation in elderly
patients may contribute to their higher risk of sepsis and subsequent
adverse events but remains unexplored. We prospectively compared
P-SEL expression and PMA levels in elderly (age≥65, n=29)
and young (age