Abstract

Since the early biochemical changes are critical in defining the triggering mechanism of a mitogen-induced lymphocyte activation, their study could provide a good understanding of the processes that might be relevant to the immune deficiency associated with ageing. The increase of Ca 2+ influx appears to be one of these earliest events which takes place in the first minutes following the contact with stimulating agents, as a consequence of membrane activation. Therefore, the timing and the magnitude of Ca 2+ influx were analyzed in unstimulated and PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from old and adult subjects. Whereas PBL from elders exhibited a decrease in DNA synthesis, the characteristics of Ca 2+ accumulation into unstimulated and PHA-stimulated PBL were found unaltered in the elderly. The data support the evidence that the cellular defect relevant to the depressed response to T-mitogens associated with ageing, does not result from the defect of Ca 2+ transport induced by membrane activation.

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