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Lymphocyte reactivity in the aged.

I Halbrecht, L Komlos, Z Strauss

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

|August 1, 1977

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Elderly patients with cardiovascular disease show reduced T cell responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) but not B cell responses to pokeweed (PWM). This suggests T cell immunity declines more with age and illness than B cell immunity.

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Area of Science:

Immunology
Gerontology
Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

Immune system function, particularly lymphocyte reactivity, can decline with aging.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is prevalent in the elderly and may impact immune status.
Understanding age-related immune changes is crucial for managing health in older populations.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare T and B lymphocyte reactivity in young healthy adults, elderly healthy adults, and elderly patients with CVD.
To investigate the impact of aging and cardiovascular disease on specific lymphocyte responses.

Main Methods:

Lymphocyte cultures from 46 subjects (young healthy, elderly healthy, elderly with CVD) were stimulated with nonspecific T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and B cell mitogen pokeweed (PWM).

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Reactivity was assessed under varying incubation times, mitogen concentrations, and serum sources.

Statistical analysis was performed to compare responses between groups.

Main Results:

No significant differences in PHA-induced T cell reactivity were found between young and elderly healthy individuals.
Elderly patients with CVD exhibited significantly decreased PHA-induced T cell reactivity compared to both young and elderly healthy subjects.
No significant differences in PWM-induced B cell reactivity were observed among the three groups.

Conclusions:

T cell responses to PHA are more susceptible to age-related decline and the effects of cardiovascular disease than B cell responses to PWM.
B lymphocyte function appears more stable in aged individuals, even in the presence of significant illness.
These findings highlight a potential differential aging of T and B cell compartments in the elderly, particularly in those with CVD.