Influence of ageing on antibody formation in vivo after immunisation with the primary T-cell dependent antigen Helix pomatia haemocyanin.
The in vivo antibody response to the primary T-cell dependent antigen Helix pomatia Haemocyanin (HPH) was studied, in order to detect the possible presence of a humoral immune deficiency in ageing. The IgG subclass distribution of the specific antibodies was also determined. In order to define a dose of HPH which could be used to discriminate between the responsiveness of healthy and immunocompromised individuals, we first established a dose-response curve for this antigen in 60 healthy young volunteers. Their responses were compared with the responses of a group of patients suffering from end stage renal failure. The patients who were treated with haemodialysis showed a significantly lower IgM, IgG and IgA anti-HPH antibody response after immunisation with a dose of 30 micrograms HPH, which could be restored by increasing the antigen dose. Patients treated with continuous ambulant peritoneal dialysis and a group of elderly persons, selected according to the Senieur protocol, showed no impairment of antibody formation after immunisation with 30 micrograms HPH, but in the non-Senieur elderly the anti-HPH antibody response was significantly lower. Furthermore, Senieur and non-Senieur elderly persons showed a diminished IgG2 anti-HPH antibody formation, whereas in the elderly non-Senieur individuals and in the patients with renal insufficiency, IgG1 and IgG3 anti-HPH antibodies were also diminished. This study clearly shows that the so-called age-associated immune deficiency can be the result of disease and is not necessarily due to the ageing process itself.
De Greef
G E
GE
Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Van Tol
M J
MJ
Kallenberg
C G
CG
Van Staalduinen
G J
GJ
Remarque
E J
EJ
Tjandra
Y I
YI
Hijmans
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006372:Helix, Snails; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; D012016:Reference Values; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006433:Hemocyanins