SMOKING AND INFLUENZA IN THE ELDERLY - A SERO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (3) , 212-216
Abstract
Two blood samples were taken at an interval of 5 yr in a continuing epidemiological study of a rural population with an age range of 40-64 yr at commencement. Paired sera of 111 light smokers and their nonsmoker controls, matched for age and sex and of 68 heavy smokers and their respective controls were tested for hemagglutination inhibiting antibodies against 4 different influenza strains. Antibodies were detected in the baseline specimens more frequently and in higher titers among the smokers than among the controls. Significant rises in titer between the baseline specimens and the follow-up specimens occurred slightly more frequently among the smokers.