[The characteristic changes of immune function with aging--analysis of the mechanisms]

The most prominent immunological abnormalities in the aged were reduced immune response against foreign antigens and increased auto-antibody production against intrinsic antigen. To explain these immunological abnormalities, we examined the various functions of human lymphocytes from aged and young groups at cellular, molecular and genetic levels. The results indicate: The first, T cells from the aged showed significantly reduced proliferative response not only to specific antigen TAP but also to mitogen PHA or combined stimulation of PMA and ionomycin. The second, the number of IL-2 receptor, particularly high affinity ones, on aged T cells were significantly reduced in the aged after TAP and PHA stimulation. The third, the ability to express Tac (p55) and p70/75 of IL-2R and to internalize the rIL-2 bound to the receptor were reduced in aged T cells. The fourth, although the ability to proliferate in response to SAC stimulation was two folds less in the aged B cells than that in the young ones, the capacity to differentiate into IgG and IgA class ISC after the combined stimulation with SAC and partially purified BCDF were rather increased on the basis of the number of viable cells recovered. The fifth, the amount of IL-2 activity produced by aged T cells was ten fold less than that by young ones, but the amount of BCDF activity produced by aged T cells was three folds higher than that by young ones after PHA stimulation. An inverse correlation between IL-2 activity and BCDF activity was found when the both activities were determined in the same sample.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)