Reduced Immune Potential of Aged Mice: Significance of Morphologic Changes in Lymphatic Tissue.

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Abstract
Summary Hemagglutinin responding capacity to sheep erythrocyte antigen in 3-year-old BC3F1 mice was approximately 10% of the response in normal young adult mice. The reduction in primary antibody-forming capacity was determined in aged animals that had no specific lesion of lymphatic tissue such as lymphoma, lymphosarcoma, suggesting that the reduction was primarily due to unspecific atrophy or degenerative changes. Results of splenectomy in the aged mice suggest that the spleen is the major source of immunological competence in the aged animals and that the reduced immune capacity in these mice is not due simply to failing spleen function.