Lymphocyte Reactivity in the Aged

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Abstract
Lymphocyte reactivity in cultures toward the nonspecific T and B cell mitogens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed (PWM), was studied in 46 subjects in three groups: a) young healthy persons, b) elderly healthy persons, and c) hospitalized elderly patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. No statistically significant differences in the lymphocyte reactivity of young and old healthy persons toward PHA could be observed with different incubation times, mitogen concentrations, or serum sources. A significantly decreased lymphocyte response was found in elderly hospitalized patients compared to young and elderly healthy subjects. In contrast, no differences in the lymphocyte reactivity toward PWM could be found among the three groups, including a comparison between elderly healthy and elderly hospitalized persons. The results suggest that the B lymphocyte‐dependent response to a B lymphocyte stimulator is more stable than is the T cell response in aged subjects.