title: Age-related changes in the relative numbers of Thy-1- and Lyt-2-bearing peripheral blood lymphocytes in mice: a longitudinal approach.
abstract: Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses of Lyt-2+ and Thy-1+ cell populations in the peripheral blood of aging male CBA and C57BL mice revealed that the relative number of Thy-1+, Lyt-2+ cells in the peripheral blood of both mouse strains remained relatively constant during the entire lifespan. The proportion of Thy-1+, Lyt-2- cells decreases with age, which indicates that major changes in the T-cell compartment with age must be attributed to the Lyt-2- helper compartment. For individual CBA mice, a direct relation between the relative number of Thy-1+, Lyt-2- cells at a certain age and the time remaining to live is demonstrated. The changes in the proportion of Lyt-2+ of total Thy-1+ cells in CBA mice show a regular pattern of slow increase with age followed by a rapid increase phase preceding the death of the animal. In C57BL mice, the development of the proportion of Lyt-2+ T cells with age showed various patterns. Rapid changes both positive and negative in these mice seem to be indicative of approaching death. The predictive value of Lyt-2+/Thy-1+ ratios at a given age for the remaining lifespan of individual mice is discussed.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Steinmeier
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Haaijman
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens