Elderly immune response to a TI-2 antigen: heavy and light chain use and bactericidal activity to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C polysaccharide.
case_control · Level III
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 10228065.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Previous studies of the elderly immune response to TI-2 antigens failed to correlate specific antibody levels with function and to compare responses with those of young adults. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C capsular polysaccharide (MCPS) was used as a model TI-2 antigen. Anti-MCPS antibody levels were determined in elderly individuals and correlated with bactericidal activity. The anti-MCPS response in most persons was characterized by predominant IgG usage, with IgG2>IgG1. No light chain or IgA subclass predominated, but some responses showed a particular chain type. Bactericidal activity correlated best with IgG2 levels. Elderly subjects had lower anti-MCPS responses than the young adults did in all chain-specific anti-MCPS levels, and levels declined more rapidly. Bactericidal activity following immunization was significantly lower in the elderly persons. These results suggest the anti-MCPS antibody repertoire in the elderly is likely maintained, and the lower level of function is related to the lower antibody levels.
Medical subject headings
- Aging
- Antibodies, Bacterial
- Antigens, T-Independent
- Immunoglobulin Isotypes
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Polysaccharides, Bacterial