Effect of aging on immune and tolerant states.

A model has been described for studying the effect of aging on the cellular events involved in the induction, maintenance, and termination of a central tolerant state representative of the natural tolerant state to self. This model may permit an approach to the examination of the immune status of subpopulations of T and B cells to self antigens during aging. Prelminary data with NBZ mice, which show signs of accelerated autoimmune disease, suggest a possible defect detected by changes in polyclonal activation of B cells. This defect appears to be at the B cell level and not to involve suppressor T cells.