Immunological studies of aging. Normal B-cell repertoire in aged mice: studies at a clonal level.
As previously reported, old mice produce lower avidity plaque-forming cells (PFC) after immunization with 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-Ficoll (TNP-F) than do young mice. However, if spleen cells from TNP-F-immunized old mice are incubated with hapten to elute auto-anti-idiotype antibody then high avidity PFC, comparable to those in young mice, are detected. To further evaluate the effect of age on the B-cell repertoire anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-bovine gamma globulin (TNP-BGG) hybridomas were prepared from young (6 to 8 weeks old) and old (18 to 24 months old) mice which had been primed and boosted with TNP-BGG. The monoclonal antibodies (MoAb's) were TNP-specific. Spleens from old and young mice were comparable with respect to the incidence of immunoglobulin-secreting hybridomas obtained, the incidence of TNP-BGG-specific hybridomas obtained, and the isotype distribution of the anti-TNP-BGG hybridomas. The avidities for TNP-BGG of the IgG1 anti-TNP-BGG MoAb's obtained from old and young donors were also comparable. The overall results thus suggest that old and young mice have similar B-cell repertoires and that differences in the antibodies produced are due to regulatory influences.
Marcenaro
L
L
Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021.
Russo
C
C
Kim
Y T
YT
Siskind
G W
GW
Weksler
M E
ME
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006241:Haptens; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes