Evidence of aberration of T-cell subsets in aged individuals.
In the present study, T-cell subsets from aged individuals were examined by using anti-BAT (brain-associated thymocyte antigen) serum. Anti-BAT serum was raised against the human fetal brain at 28 weeks of gestation. After absorption wit AB erythrocytes, B-cell lines, and leukaemic cells, anti-BAT serum was T cell-specific but unreactive to normal B cells. The ability of anit-BAT serum-treated lymphocytes from aged individuals to respond to concanavalin A, phytohaemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was unaltered even at a high concentration. In PWM-stimulated Ig synthesis, T lymphocytes lacking the anti-BAT serum-reactive T-cell subset enhanced the PWM-stimulated Ig synthesis of autologous B lymphocytes from young individuals. The Con A-induced suppressor function of lymphocytes from aged individuals was not significantly abolished by treatment with anti-BAT serum and complement. In the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction, the decrease in response was minimal when responder cells from aged individuals was treated with anti-BAT serum even at a high concentration. It is concluded that the T-cell subset with suppressor function is defective in aged individuals.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D007106:Immune Sera; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A