Biomaterial Database

The repertoire diversity and magnitude of antibody responses to bacterial antigens in aged mice: I. Age-associated changes in antibody responses differ according to the mouse strain. 1991

C Nicoletti, and J Cerny

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.

Aging influences the host immune responses in various ways. In aging mice we have studied the antibody responses to two unrelated bacterial antigens. Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a vaccine (Pn) and TNP coupled to Brucella abortus (TNP-BA). Aged animals (20-24 months old) of the C57BL/6 strain had markedly reduced numbers of IgM antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) to Pn as compared to young/adult mice (2-3 months old). In contrast, the anti-Pn IgM PFC responses of aged BALB/c mice were consistently higher than they were in the young/adult mice. The increased anti-Pn responses were not due to a nonspecific immunostimulation, because the responses of aged BALB/c mice to TNP-BA were lower as compared to the adults. However, the aged BALB/c mice responded relatively poorly to Pn challenge, and their IgG responses (as determined by ELISA plaque assay) demonstrated a very high individual variability. The clonotypic diversity of anti-Pn response in young BALB/c and C57BL/6 is limited, such that the majority of PFC produce antibody that express all idiotopes (Id) of the T15 immunoglobulin encoded in the VH-S107/Vk22 genes. In contrast, the PFC from aged mice are diverse, expressing incomplete T15 Id or none at all, suggesting that the antibodies are encoded by altered T15 genes and by different, non-T15 genes. Our data demonstrate that the age-related changes in the magnitude of antibody response to certain antigens are influenced by the host genetic make-up, and that the changes in magnitude and diversity of antibody response may be unrelated to each other.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007074	Immunoglobulin G	The major immunoglobulin isotype class in normal human serum. There are several isotype subclasses of IgG, for example, IgG1, IgG2A, and IgG2B.	Gamma Globulin, 7S,IgG,IgG Antibody,Allerglobuline,IgG(T),IgG1,IgG2,IgG2A,IgG2B,IgG3,IgG4,Immunoglobulin GT,Polyglobin,7S Gamma Globulin,Antibody, IgG,GT, Immunoglobulin
D007075	Immunoglobulin M	A class of immunoglobulin bearing mu chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN MU-CHAINS). IgM can fix COMPLEMENT. The name comes from its high molecular weight and originally was called a macroglobulin.	Gamma Globulin, 19S,IgM,IgM Antibody,IgM1,IgM2,19S Gamma Globulin,Antibody, IgM
D007130	Immunoglobulin Idiotypes	Unique genetically-controlled determinants present on ANTIBODIES whose specificity is limited to a single group of proteins (e.g., another antibody molecule or an individual myeloma protein). The idiotype appears to represent the antigenicity of the antigen-binding site of the antibody and to be genetically codetermined with it. The idiotypic determinants have been precisely located to the IMMUNOGLOBULIN VARIABLE REGION of both immunoglobin polypeptide chains.	Idiotypes, Immunoglobulin,Ig Idiotypes,Idiotype, Ig,Idiotype, Immunoglobulin,Idiotypes, Ig,Ig Idiotype,Immunoglobulin Idiotype
D007132	Immunoglobulin Isotypes	The classes of immunoglobulins found in any species of animal. In man there are nine classes that migrate in five different groups in electrophoresis; they each consist of two light and two heavy protein chains, and each group has distinguishing structural and functional properties.	Antibody Class,Ig Isotype,Ig Isotypes,Immunoglobulin Class,Immunoglobulin Isotype,Antibody Classes,Immunoglobulin Classes,Class, Antibody,Class, Immunoglobulin,Classes, Antibody,Classes, Immunoglobulin,Isotype, Ig,Isotype, Immunoglobulin,Isotypes, Ig,Isotypes, Immunoglobulin
D007156	Immunologic Memory	The altered state of immunologic responsiveness resulting from initial contact with antigen, which enables the individual to produce antibodies more rapidly and in greater quantity in response to secondary antigenic stimulus.	Immune Memory,Immunological Memory,Memory, Immunologic,Immune Memories,Immunologic Memories,Immunological Memories,Memory, Immune,Memory, Immunological
D008815	Mice, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations, or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. All animals within an inbred strain trace back to a common ancestor in the twentieth generation.	Inbred Mouse Strains,Inbred Strain of Mice,Inbred Strain of Mouse,Inbred Strains of Mice,Mouse, Inbred Strain,Inbred Mouse Strain,Mouse Inbred Strain,Mouse Inbred Strains,Mouse Strain, Inbred,Mouse Strains, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Mouse,Strains, Inbred Mouse
D010767	Phosphorylcholine	Calcium and magnesium salts used therapeutically in hepatobiliary dysfunction.	Choline Chloride Dihydrogen Phosphate,Choline Phosphate Chloride,Phosphorylcholine Chloride,Choline Phosphate,Phosphocholine,Chloride, Choline Phosphate,Chloride, Phosphorylcholine,Phosphate Chloride, Choline,Phosphate, Choline
D006241	Haptens	Small antigenic determinants capable of eliciting an immune response only when coupled to a carrier. Haptens bind to antibodies but by themselves cannot elicit an antibody response.	Hapten,Contact-Sensitizing Agents,Agents, Contact-Sensitizing,Contact Sensitizing Agents
D000375	Aging	The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time.	Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia