title: Restriction of immunoglobulin heterogeneity, autoimmunity and serum protein levels in aged people.
abstract: Ninety-one sera of persons above 80 years of age were screened for autoantibody activity against lipoproteins (anti-LDL 7, anti-HDL 6 positive), for rheumatoid factor activity (Latex 14, Waaler-Rose 7 positive) and for antinuclear factors (11 positive). Among the sera with autoantibody activity 29 percent showed deviations of the normal kappa/lambda ratio of immunoglobulins, as opposed to 22 percent of the sera without detected autoantibody activity. In 3 percent of the sera an M component was detected. Determination of the alpha1-acid glycoprotein, alpha1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, haemopexin, complement component C3c and C4, IgG, IgA and IgM levels showed significant increases in alpha-, and beta-globulins as well as in IgG and IgA in sera of the aged persons as compared to a normal population between 20 and 60 years old. No significant difference was noted between the gamma-globulin concentration in sera of aged persons with or without autoantibody activity. The evaluation of the relationship between serum protein levels and alterations of the kappa/lambda ratio indicated that the alpha- and the beta-globulins were significantly raised in sera with altered kappa/lambda ratios, whereas, with the exception of M component containing sera the gamma-globulin levels seemed not significantly affected by changes in this ratio.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000276:immunology; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000276:immunology; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000276:immunology; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D001798:Blood Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor