POPULATION IMMUNOLOGY - AGE AND IMMUNE CELL PARAMETERS

This paper has analyzed the relation of peripheral blood immune cell parameters to age in a population of 200 normal, healthy, working adults. The age range of the population was 21-70 years, and it consisted of an equal number of males and females. The relative and absolute number of E and EA rosettes and the phytohemagglutinin (PHA) reactivity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined for each individual, and age differences were sought by stratifying the sample population into 5-year age subsets and comparing the groups statistically. No differences were detected between the age groups for any of the parameters examined. These results indicate that T and Fc receptor lymphocyte activity did not vary in the population studied with increasing age. Other investigators examining the same parameters have found evidence of age-related variation in immune status. The discrepancy could indicate that the response of the immune system to age is polymorphic. © 1978.