Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1981 Jun;44(3):646–653.

Human B cell function in normal individuals of various ages. 1. In vitro enumeration of pokeweed-induced peripheral blood lymphocyte immunoglobulin-synthesizing cells and the comparison of the results with numbers of peripheral B and T cells, mitogen responses, and levels of serum immunoglobulins.

J E Nagel, F J Crest, W H Adler
PMCID: PMC1537310  PMID: 7035035

Abstract

The effect of age on the in vitro generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells in pokeweed mitogen-stimulated cultures was examined using a staphylococcal protein A plaque assay. Although there was no statistically significant decrease with age in the numbers of plaque-forming cells, subjects whose cells failed to produce immunoglobulin were four times more common amongst individuals over 55 years of age. Simultaneously-measured T and B lymphocyte numbers. 3H-thymidine incorporation by mitogen-stimulated cultures, and serum immunoglobulins were comparable in both the young and the aged.

Full text

PDF
651

Selected References

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

  1. Barrett D. J., Stenmark S., Wara D. W., Ammann A. J. Immunoregulation in aged humans. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1980 Oct;17(2):203–211. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(80)90088-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bird A. G., Britton S. A new approach to the study of human B lymphocyte function using an indirect plaque assay and a direct B cell activator. Immunol Rev. 1979;45:41–67. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1979.tb00272.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buckley C. E., 3rd, Dorsey F. C. Serum immunoglobulin levels throughout the life-span of healthy man. Ann Intern Med. 1971 Nov;75(5):673–682. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-75-5-673. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CLAMAN H. N., MERRILL D. QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF HUMAN GAMMA-2, BETA-2A, AND BETA-2M SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS. J Lab Clin Med. 1964 Oct;64:685–693. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clot J., Charmasson E., Brochier J. Age-dependent changes of human blood lymphocyte subpopulations. Clin Exp Immunol. 1978 May;32(2):346–351. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cobleigh M. A., Braun D. P., Harris J. E. Age-dependent changes in human peripheral blood B cells and T-cell subsets: correlation with mitogen responsiveness. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1980 Feb;15(2):162–174. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(80)90028-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Diaz-Jauanen E., Strickland R. G., Williams R. C. Studies of human lymphocytes in the newborn and the aged. Am J Med. 1975 May;58(5):620–628. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(75)90497-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edidin M. A rapid, quantitative fluorescence assay for cell damage by cytotoxic antibodies. J Immunol. 1970 May;104(5):1303–1306. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Foad B. S., Adams L. E., Yamauchi Y., Litwin A. Phytomitogen responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes in young and older subjects. Clin Exp Immunol. 1974 Aug;17(4):657–664. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gajl-Peczalska K. J., Hallgren H., Kersey J. H., Zusman J., Yunis E. J. Letter: B lymphocytes during ageing. Lancet. 1974 Jul 20;2(7873):163–163. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)91593-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gronowicz E., Coutinho A., Melchers F. A plaque assay for all cells secreting Ig of a given type or class. Eur J Immunol. 1976 Aug;6(8):588–590. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830060812. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gupta S., Good R. A. Subpopulations of human T lymphocytes. X. Alterations in T, B, third population cells, and T cells with receptors for immunoglobulin M (Tmu) or G (Tgamma) in aging humans. J Immunol. 1979 Apr;122(4):1214–1219. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. 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]
  14. Hammarström L., Bird A. G., Britton S., Smith C. I. Pokeweed mitogen induced differentiation of human B cells: evaluation by a protein A haemolytic plaque assay. Immunology. 1979 Sep;38(1):181–189. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Haynes B. F., Fauci A. S. Activation of human B lymphocytes. VI. Immunoregulation of antibody production by mitogen-induced and naturally occurring cells in normal individuals. Cell Immunol. 1978 Mar 15;36(2):294–302. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(78)90273-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Haynes B. F., Fauci A. S. Activation of human B lymphocytes. XIII. Characterization of multiple populations of naturally occurring immunoregulatory cells of polyclonally induced in vitro human B cell function. J Immunol. 1979 Sep;123(3):1289–1298. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. 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]
  18. Kishimoto S., Tomino S., Mitsuya H., Fujiwara H. Age-related changes in suppressor functions of human T cells. J Immunol. 1979 Oct;123(4):1586–1593. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pang G. T., Baguley D. M., Wilson J. D. Spontaneous rosettes as a T-lymphocyte marker: a modified method giving consistent results. SRBC rosettes. J Immunol Methods. 1974 Jan;3(1):41–46. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(74)90031-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pisciotta A. V., Westring D. W., DePrey C., Walsh B. Mitogenic effect of phytohaemagglutinin at different ages. Nature. 1967 Jul 8;215(5097):193–194. doi: 10.1038/215193a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pryjma J., Muñoz J., Virella G., Fudenberg H. H. Evaluation of IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE secretion by human peripheral blood lymphocytes in cultures stimulated with pokeweed mitogen and Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I. Cell Immunol. 1980 Mar 1;50(1):115–124. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(80)90011-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Radl J., Sepers J. M., Skvaril F., Morell A., Hijmans W. Immunoglobulin patterns in humans over 95 years of age. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Oct;22(1):84–90. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rotman B., Papermaster B. W. Membrane properties of living mammalian cells as studied by enzymatic hydrolysis of fluorogenic esters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Jan;55(1):134–141. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.1.134. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stone J. L., Norris A. H. Activities and attitudes of participants in the Baltimore longitudinal study. J Gerontol. 1966 Oct;21(4):575–580. doi: 10.1093/geronj/21.4.575. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Weksler M. E., Hütteroth T. H. Impaired lymphocyte function in aged humans. J Clin Invest. 1974 Jan;53(1):99–104. doi: 10.1172/JCI107565. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES