Article
Age- and tissue-specific differences in human germinal center B cell selection revealed by analysis of IgVH gene hypermutation and lineage trees.
European journal of immunology - 1 Jul 2002
Banerjee Monica, Mehr Ramit, Belelovsky Alex, Spencer Jo, Dunn-Walters Deborah K
Abstract excerpt
The elderly produce increased levels of antibodies to autologous antigens and are less able to make high-affinity antibodies to foreign antigens. Ig gene hypermutation is integral to the affinity maturation process but previous studies of hypermutation with age have yielded conflicting results. The cells studied have represented post-germinal center (GC) populations and, therefore, the results may be complicated...
Topics
- Aging
- B-Lymphocytes
- Base Sequence
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Lineage
- Complementarity Determining Regions
- DNA, Complementary
- Genes, Immunoglobulin
- Germinal Center
- Humans