INFLUENCE OF SEX AND AGE ON SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONCENTRATIONS IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 16  (1) , 23-31
Abstract
Concentrations of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA and IgM in 440 apparently healthy [human] subjects aged 15-70 yr were estimated by assay against the WHO International Reference Preparation 67/97. An improved single-radial-diffusion technique was used. Sex-related differences were separatedly examined for each age group by means of the Student''s t test. Except for the mean IgA value of the younger males (15-24 yr), which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of females, no other significant sex differences were found for IgG and IgA mean levels; in contrast, mean IgM concentrations were signficantly (P < 0.001) higher in females than in males, in all but 1 (55-70 yr) of the age groups. Linear-regression analyses of log10 Ig concentration on age have shown that a significant decrease in IgM levels with age occurred only in females (r [correlation coefficient] = -0.390; P < 0.001). Significant increases with age occurred in IgG concentrations of males (r = 0.271; P < 0.001), as well as in IgA levels of both males (r = 0.240; P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.263; P < 0.001).

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