THERMOTAXIS, CHEMOTAXIS AND AGE

It has been demonstrated that polymorphonuclear leukocytes migrate in vitro along a temperature gradient, i.e., that they exhibit positive thermotaxis. The effect varies monotonically with the temperature gradient, a fact which suggests that PMN thermotaxis may be important in nonspecific immune amplification. Thermotaxis and chemotaxis are synergistic: simultaneously applied codirectional chemotactic and thermotactic stimuli produce a motile response that is more than double the sum of the separate effects. Conversely, counter-directional stimuli produce inhibition. Chemotaxis correlates positively with age for cell donors less than 35 years old, but there is no significant correlation with age for the cell donors older than 61 years in this small pilot sample. Neither is there a significant correlation between chemotaxis and thermotaxis. Nonetheless, these preliminary data seem to open new avenues for the study of cell response to inflammation. © 1979 American Aging Association, Inc.