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Effect of age on response to T- and B-cell mitogens in mice congenic at theH-2 locus

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Abstract

TheH-2 gene region is shown to display a considerable influence upon the age-specific response to T- and B-cell mitogens in congenic mice. Three sets of three strains each were studied, including mice congenic on A, C3H, and C57BL backgrounds. The sometimes rather striking differences in mitogenic responsiveness upon any one background were generally much less apparent in young mice than in mice examined at later stages in their lifespans, up to 28 to 30 months in the present investigation. Prior studies which failed to detect an effect ofH-2 upon mitogenic responsiveness have been limited to relatively young mice. We suggest thatH-2-linked genes may influence the maturation rates of various types of immune response, or perhaps the status of differentiation receptor sites. Different types of response may mature, peak, and decline at different ages and underH-2 contributory influence. The age-specific incidence of or susceptibility to certain diseases may in part reflect such diverse rates of change or balance among immune functions. The known associations of theH-2 andHLA systems with various malignancies and autoimmune diseases are not inconsistent with this possibility.

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  1. Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, 90024, Los Angeles, California

    Patricia J. Meredith & Roy L. Walford

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  1. Patricia J. Meredith
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  2. Roy L. Walford
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Meredith, P.J., Walford, R.L. Effect of age on response to T- and B-cell mitogens in mice congenic at theH-2 locus. Immunogenetics 5, 109–128 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01570468

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