AGE DEPENDENT CHANGES IN SOME HUMAN LYMPHOCYTE SUB‐POPULATIONS

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Abstract
Age-dependent changes in natural killer (NK) cell activity was studied using the K 562 cell line as target in a 20-h 51Cr release assay. Healthy, high-aged persons (76-93 yr) (15) were compared with 15 sex-matched young adults (20-39 yr). Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 1 aged and 1 young person were assayed simultaneously; and in 12 pairs the elderly person expressed the highest cytotoxicity (P = 0.008). When the NK cell activity was expressed as lytic units/ml of blood, no difference was found between the 2 age groups. T enriched cells showed lower NK activity than peripheral blood lymphocytes, but the age-dependent changes were the same. The NK cell activity was positively correlated to the proportion of lymphocytes bearing IgG Fc receptors. The numbers of both Fc receptor-positive peripheral lymphocytes and Fc receptor-positive T cells (T.gamma. cells) were significantly elevated in the elderly.