The immune functions in aged cynomolgus monkeys as an experimental model.

随着老年人口的增加，需要研究老年人的免疫状态，以预防疾病的发生。我们对老年食蟹猴的免疫系统进行了研究，以建立一个阐明人类免疫功能随年龄变化的模型。2)由于CH50值和抗-A、抗-B活性水平在5~10岁时达到峰值并有所下降，20岁以上的猕猴被认为是老年猴。2)喘息性CD_4亚群标记，猕猴外周血中CD8细胞随增龄而增加，而B细胞和NK细胞则随增龄而减少。3)有趣的是，与人相比，猕猴外周血中的CD4/CD8细胞比例相对较高，且随着年龄的增长而增加，提示食蟹猴是研究胸腺功能减退和T细胞分化机制的有效模型。4)与青年猴相比，老年猕猴自身抗体水平较高，T细胞功能尤其是IL-2的产生能力和IL-2R的表达活性明显降低。5)在抗人B细胞的单抗和多克隆抗体中均获得了识别猴B细胞的抗体。6)建立了研究猴B细胞母细胞分化活性的检测体系。

According to the increase in population of aged people, the immune status of aged humans is demanded to be studied to prevent them from disease's. We have been studied the immune system in aged cynomolgus monkeys to establish a model for clarifying the age-related change of immune functions in humans. The results obtained in 2 years were as follows and the cymonolgus monkey were considered to be very useful model to study the effect of aging.1)Since CH50 value and anti-A and anti-B activity levels reached the peak at 5 to 10 years of age and declined, the monkeys older than 20 years old are considered as aged monkeys.2)The subset labels of pant CD4+, CD8+ cells in cynomolgus monkeys increased according to aging although the ones of B and NK cells decreased.3)Interestingly relative high percentage of CD4+/CD8+ cells are observed in monkey peripheral blood in contrast to human and it increased with aging which suggest that the cynomolgus monkey is useful model to study the age-associated decline in thymus function and the differential mechanism of T cells.4)Comparing with young monkeys, autoantibodies are higher and T cell functions especially the productivity of IL-2 and the activity of IL-2R expression were considerably lower in aged monkeys. The NK activity and the phagocytic activity of macrophages were not changed with aging.5)Antibodies to recognize monkey B cells were obtained in anti-human B cells monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.6)The assay system to study monkey B cell blastogenic activity was established.