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Age-Related Physiologic and Molecular Changes in the Thymus

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Blood Cells, Rheology, and Aging

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Abstract

About 25 years ago we found that the ability to mount a T cell-dependent primary antibody response to sheep red blood cell stimulation decreases with age in mice [1]. Shortly thereafter, we demonstrated that this decrease is due primarily to changes in the tissues making up the immune system and secondarily to changes in the systemic milieu [2]. Since then, studies from various laboratories have established that other T cell-dependent immunologic activities in various species are also vulnerable to aging [3]. In addition, the altered activities have been associated with a decrease in the number of T cells, with changes in the intrinsic properties of T cells, and with an imbalance in the enhancing and suppressive activities of regulator T cells [4].

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Authors
  1. T. Makinodan
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  2. N. Kinohara
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  3. M.-P. Chang
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituts für Gerontologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Flurstraße 17, D-8500, Nürnberg, Germany

    Dieter Platt (Direktor) (Direktor)

  2. 2. Medizinischen Klinik, Klinikum Nürnberg, Flurstraße 17, D-8500, Nürnberg, Germany

    Dieter Platt (Direktor) (Direktor)

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Makinodan, T., Kinohara, N., Chang, MP. (1988). Age-Related Physiologic and Molecular Changes in the Thymus. In: Platt, D. (eds) Blood Cells, Rheology, and Aging. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71790-1_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71790-1_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71792-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71790-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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