title: Age-related impairment of the in vitro antibody response in the human.
abstract: We have used trinitrophenyl polyacrylamide beads (TNP-PAA) to induce a primary in vitro antibody response toward TNP in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from aged individuals. The response was virtually non-existent whereas PBL from young control individuals were able to respond. Recombination experiments showed that: (1) aged PBL did not suppress the response of young PBL; (2) young T cells enhanced the response of aged (unfractionated or T-depleted) cells; (3) aged T cells were unable to restore the response of young T-depleted cells, in contrast to young allogeneic T cells. Upon stimulation with Concanavalin A (Con A) aged PBL displayed a moderately diminished proliferative response and a normal ability to suppress the anti-TNP response of autologous PBL (in the few responders). However, contrasting with young PBL they could not suppress the anti-TNP response of young allogeneic PBL.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D003208:Concanavalin A