Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1982 May;48(2):403–410.

Immunological responses of healthy elderly population.

J S Goodwin, R P Searles, K S Tung
PMCID: PMC1536458  PMID: 6980745

Abstract

We measured in vitro mitogen responses, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and three autoantibodies in 279 healthy and 24 chronically ill individuals over 65, and in young controls. The elderly individuals had previously undergone a complete medical examination and laboratory screening tests, and were on no medications. Compared to the results of 180 young controls tested concurrently, the healthy elderly individuals had significantly depressed PHA responses and skin test responses. In addition, CIC and autoantibodies were increased in the healthy elderly group compared to young controls. There was no difference in PHA or skin test responses between the healthy and chronically ill elderly subjects, suggesting that the major determinant of depressed cellular immunity in the elderly is age per se and not age-associated diseases. Within the elderly population, aged 65-94, there was a significant decrease in PHA response with age. Previously it has been reported that correlations exist between measurements of cellular immune response (mitogen response and skin testing) and manifestations of autoimmunity (CIC or autoantibodies) in elderly subjects. However, in this well characterized healthy elderly population we could not verify an association between the cellular immune response and either autoantibodies or immune complexes. In addition, was no increased prevalence of autoantibodies in subjects with CIC.

Full text

PDF
404

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ben-Zwi A., Galili U., Russell A., Schlesinger M. Age-associated changes in subpopulations of human lymphocytes. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1977 Jan;7(1):139–149. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(77)90038-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cammarata R. J., Rodnan G. P., Fennell R. H. Serum anti-gamma-globulin and antinuclear factors in the aged. JAMA. 1967 Feb 13;199(7):455–458. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cassel J., Heyden S., Bartel A. G., Kaplan B. H., Tyroler H. A., Cornoni J. C., Hames C. G. Occupation and physical activity and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. 1971 Dec;128(6):920–928. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Członkowska A., Korlak J. The immune response during aging. J Gerontol. 1979 Jan;34(1):9–14. doi: 10.1093/geronj/34.1.9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Delespesse G., Gausset P., Sarfati M., Dubi-Rucquoy M., Debisschop M. J., van Haelst L. Circulating immune complexes in old people and in diabetics: correlation with autoantibodies. Clin Exp Immunol. 1980 Apr;40(1):96–102. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Girard J. P., Paychère M., Cuevas M., Fernandes B. Cell-mediated immunity in an ageing population. Clin Exp Immunol. 1977 Jan;27(1):85–91. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Goidl E. A., Innes J. B., Weksler M. E. Immunological studies of aging. II. Loss of IgG and high avidity plaque-forming cells and increased suppressor cell activity in aging mice. J Exp Med. 1976 Oct 1;144(4):1037–1048. doi: 10.1084/jem.144.4.1037. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Goodwin J. S., Messner R. P. Sensitivity of lymphocytes to prostaglandin E2 increases in subjects over age 70. J Clin Invest. 1979 Aug;64(2):434–439. doi: 10.1172/JCI109480. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Goodwin J. S., Messner R. P., Williams R. C., Jr Inhibitors of T-cell mitogenesis: effect of mitogen dose. Cell Immunol. 1979 Jul;45(2):303–308. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(79)90390-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hallgren H. M., Buckley C. E., 3rd, Gilbertsen V. A., Yunis E. J. Lymphocyte phytohemagglutinin responsiveness, immunoglobulins and autoantibodies in aging humans. J Immunol. 1973 Oct;111(4):1101–1107. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hallgren H. M., Kersey J. H., Dubey D. P., Yunis E. J. Lymphocyte subsets and integrated immune function in aging humans. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1978 May;10(1):65–78. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(78)90010-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hallgren H. M., Yunis E. J. Suppressor lymphocytes in young and aged humans. J Immunol. 1977 Jun;118(6):2004–2008. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hess E. V., Knapp D. The immune system and aging: a case of the cart before the horse? J Chronic Dis. 1978;31(11):647–649. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(78)90068-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Inkeles B., Innes J. B., Kuntz M. M., Kadish A. S., Weksler M. E. Immunological studies of Aging. III. Cytokinetic basis for the impaired response of lymphocytes from aged humans to plant lectins. J Exp Med. 1977 May 1;145(5):1176–1187. doi: 10.1084/jem.145.5.1176. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kay M. M. Effect of age on T cell differentiation. Fed Proc. 1978 Apr;37(5):1241–1244. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kishimoto S., Tomino S., Inomata K., Kotegawa S., Saito T., Kuroki M., Mitsuya H., Hisamitsu S. Age-related changes in the subsets and functions of human T lymphocytes. J Immunol. 1978 Nov;121(5):1773–1780. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mackay I. R. Ageing and immunological function in man. Gerontologia. 1972;18(5-6):285–304. doi: 10.1159/000211941. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Meredith P. J., Walford R. L. Autoimmunity, histocompatibility, and aging. Mech Ageing Dev. 1979 Jan;9(1-2):61–77. doi: 10.1016/0047-6374(79)90120-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Naor D., Bonavida B., Walford R. L. Autoimmunity and aging: the age-related response of mice of a long-lived strain to trinitrophenylated syngeneic mouse red blood cells. J Immunol. 1976 Dec;117(6):2204–2208. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pandey J. P., Fudenberg H. H., Ainsworth S. K., Loadholt C. B. Autoantibodies in healthy subjects of different age groups. Mech Ageing Dev. 1979 Jul;10(6):399–404. doi: 10.1016/0047-6374(79)90021-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Portaro J. K., Glick G. I., Zighelboim J. Population immunology: age and immune cell parameters. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1978 Nov;11(3):339–345. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(78)90058-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Roberts-Thomson I. C., Whittingham S., Youngchaiyud U., Mackay I. R. Ageing, immune response, and mortality. Lancet. 1974 Aug 17;2(7877):368–370. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)91755-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rothfield N. F., Stollar B. D. The relation of immunoglobulin class, pattern of anti-nuclear antibody, and complement-fixing antibodies to DNA in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Clin Invest. 1967 Nov;46(11):1785–1794. doi: 10.1172/JCI105669. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Terasaki P. I., Mottironi V. D., Barnett E. V. Cytotoxins in disease. Autocytotoxins in lupus. N Engl J Med. 1970 Oct 1;283(14):724–728. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197010012831403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Tung K. S., Woodroffe A. J., Ahlin T. D., Williams R. C., Jr, Wilson C. B. Application of the solid phase C1q and Raji cell radioimmune assays for the detection of circulating immune complexes in glomerulonephritis. J Clin Invest. 1978 Jul;62(1):61–72. doi: 10.1172/JCI109115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES