Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1976 Nov;26(2):280–285.

Restriction of immunoglobulin heterogeneity, autoimmunity and serum protein levels in aged people.

W Riesen, H Keller, F Skvaril, A Morell, S Barandun
PMCID: PMC1540852  PMID: 62632

Abstract

Ninety-one sera of persons above 80 years of age were screened for autoantibody activity against lipoproteins (anti-LDL 7, anti-HDL 6 positive), for rheumatoid factor activity (Latex 14, Waaler-Rose 7 positive) and for antinuclear factors (11 positive). Among the sera with autoantibody activity 29 percent showed deviations of the normal kappa/lambda ratio of immunoglobulins, as opposed to 22 percent of the sera without detected autoantibody activity. In 3 percent of the sera an M component was detected. Determination of the alpha1-acid glycoprotein, alpha1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, haemopexin, complement component C3c and C4, IgG, IgA and IgM levels showed significant increases in alpha-, and beta-globulins as well as in IgG and IgA in sera of the aged persons as compared to a normal population between 20 and 60 years old. No significant difference was noted between the gamma-globulin concentration in sera of aged persons with or without autoantibody activity. The evaluation of the relationship between serum protein levels and alterations of the kappa/lambda ratio indicated that the alpha- and the beta-globulins were significantly raised in sera with altered kappa/lambda ratios, whereas, with the exception of M component containing sera the gamma-globulin levels seemed not significantly affected by changes in this ratio.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

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

  1. Buckley C. E., 3rd, Buckley E. G., Dorsey F. C. Longitudinal changes in serum immunoglobulin levels in older humans. Fed Proc. 1974 Sep;33(9):2036–2039. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cannat A., Seligmann M. Les anticorps anti-nucléaires décelés par immunofluorescence et par d'autres méthodes immunologiques. Sem Hop. 1965 Apr 14;41(18):1090–1098. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Englisová M., Englis M., Kyral V., Kourílek K., Dvorák K. Changes of immunoglobulin synthesis in old people. Exp Gerontol. 1968 Aug;3(2):125–127. doi: 10.1016/0531-5565(68)90019-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FAHEY J. L. TWO TYPES OF 6.6 S GAMMA-GLOBULINS, BETA-2A-GLOBULINS AND 18 S GAMMA 1-MACROGLOBULINS IN NORMAL SERUM AND GAMMA-MICROGLOBULINS IN NORMAL URINE. J Immunol. 1963 Oct;91:438–447. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Finger H., Emmerling P., Hof H. Serumimmunglobulin-Spiegel im Senium. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1973 Dec 21;98(51):2455–2456. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. 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]
  7. GINGOLD N. L'aspect hématologique de la vieillesse. VII. Considérations finales discussion des résultats, conclusion. Sang. 1958;29(4):327–337. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HALLEN J. Frequency of "abnormal" serum globulins (M-components) in the aged. Acta Med Scand. 1963 Jun;173:737–744. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HEIMER R., LEVIN F. M., RUDD E. GLOBULINS RESEMBLING RHEUMATOID FACTOR IN SERUM OF THE AGED. Am J Med. 1963 Aug;35:175–181. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(63)90208-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Haferkamp O., Schlettwein-Gsell D., Schwick H. G., Störiko K. Serum protein in an aging population with particular reference to evaluation of immune globulins and antibodies. Gerontologia. 1966;12(1):30–36. doi: 10.1159/000211530. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. 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]
  12. KAREL J. L., WILDER V. M., BEBER M. Electrophoretic serum protein patterns in the aged. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1956 Jul;4(7):667–682. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1956.tb00850.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kalff M. W. A population study on serum immunoglobulin levels. Clin Chim Acta. 1970 May;28(2):277–289. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(70)90092-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kishimoto S., Tsuyuguchi I., Yamamura Y. Immune responses in aged mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 1969 Nov;5(5):525–530. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LITWIN S. D., SINGER J. M. STUDIES OF THE INCIDENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTI-GAMMA GLOBULIN FACTORS IN THE AGING. Arthritis Rheum. 1965 Aug;8:538–550. doi: 10.1002/art.1780080408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mackay I. R. Ageing and immunological function in man. Gerontologia. 1972;18(5-6):285–304. doi: 10.1159/000211941. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Makinodan T., Perkins E. H., Chen M. G. Immunologicc activity of the aged. Adv Gerontol Res. 1971;3:171–198. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mancini G., Carbonara A. O., Heremans J. F. Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry. 1965 Sep;2(3):235–254. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(65)90004-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. PLOTZ C. M., SINGER J. M. The latex fixation test. I. Application to the serologic diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Med. 1956 Dec;21(6):888–892. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Potter M. Myeloma proteins (M-components) with antibody-like activity. N Engl J Med. 1971 Apr 15;284(15):831–838. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197104152841507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. 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]
  22. Riesen W., Noseda G. Antibodies against lipoproteins in man. Occurrence and biological significance. Klin Wochenschr. 1975 Apr 15;53(8):353–361. doi: 10.1007/BF01468673. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rowley M. J., Buchanan H., Mackay I. R. Reciprocal change with age in antibody to extrinsic and intrinsic antigens. Lancet. 1968 Jul 6;2(7558):24–26. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)92893-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SACHSE H. H., POSER H. [On the age distribution of the so-called rheumatoid factor]. Z Alternsforsch. 1961 Nov;15:191–200. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Skvaril F., Barandun S. A simple method for the simultaneous detection of human immunoglobulins of both light chain types. J Immunol Methods. 1973 Oct;3(2):127–136. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(73)90028-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. 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