title: Functional absence of a B cell subpopulation in ageing New Zealand mice.
abstract: As has been found for spleen cells from ageing NZB x NZW (B/W) mice, ageing NZB mice were also found to make no antibody when stimulated in vitro with the polyclonal B cell activators (PBA) LPS and PPD. This immune defect was not due to the action of suppressor cells, since old NZB and B/W spleen cells did not suppress the PBA response of young spleen cells. Spleen cells from aged NZB mice were not able to generate antibody-forming cells when stimulated with the thymus-independent antigen, TNP-LPS, but were able to produce antibody in response to another thymus-independent antigen, TNP-AECM-Ficoll, thereby implying that there is a selective functional deletion of a B cell subpopulation in ageing New Zealand mice. The failure of B/W and NZB spleen cells to generate antibody in response to PBA is interpreted as a consequence of a continuing in vivo polyclonal B cell activation accompanying the development of autoimmune disease, leading to a scarcity of B cells available for activation by PBA and by some thymus-independent antigens in vitro.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB / Q000502:physiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014373:Tuberculin