Abstract
Concanavalin A (Con A) was used to activate suppressor cells derived from the peripheral blood of human donors. Activated suppressor cells reduced the mitogenic response of autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) more markedly in elderly than in young adults (72.2 ± 5.0 vs 41.8 ± 7.2%, P < 0.02). The baseline mitogenic response of PBLs from elderly adults was significantly lower than that of PBLs from normal young adults (9497 ± 2609 vs 28,068 ± 3973 cpm, P < 0.01). A group of young multiple sclerosis patients showed poor mitogenic responsiveness (11,017 ± 2679 cpm) and low suppressor activity (36.0 ± 3.0%) suggesting that suppressor influence need not depend on the activity of responder cells. Unconcentrated supernatants from Con A-activated cells did not suppress the mitogenic response of autologous lymphocytes but did suppress a human lymphoblast cell line (Raji).
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