Abstract
The age-related decline of immune functions has been well documented in humans and rodents, although the onset, magnitude, and rate of the decline are different depending on species, strains, and immunological indices. There has been accumulating evidence that the age-related decline of immune functions is due mainly to T-cell insufficiencies caused primarily by an early decline in thymic function (Makinodan et al., 1987; Hirokawa, 1985). This chapter attempts to describe the mechanism of the age-related thymic involution and its influence on the aging immune system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Hirokawa, K., 1985, Autoimmunity and aging, Concepts Immunopathol. 1: 251–262.
Hirokawa, K., and Utsuyama, M. 1984, The effect of sequential multiple grafting of syngeneic newborn thymus on the immune functions and life expectancy, Mech. Aging Dev. 28: 111–121.
Hirokawa, K., Sato, K., and Makinodan, T., 1982, Influence of age on thymic graft on the differentiation of T cells in nude mice, Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 24: 251–288.
Hirokawa, K., Sado, T., Kubo, S., and Kamisaku, H., 1985, Intrathymic T cell differentiation in radiation bone marrow chimeras and its role in T cell emigration to the spleen. An immunohistochemical study. J. Immunol. 134: 3615–3624.
Hirokawa, K., Kubo, K., Utsuyama, M., and Sado, T., 1986, Age-related change in the potential of bone marrow cells to repopulate the thymus and splenic T cells in mice, Cell. Immunol. 100: 443–451.
Hirokawa, K., Utsuyama, M., Katsura, Y., and Sado, T., 1988, Influence of age on the proliferation and peripheralization of thymic T cells, 112: 13–21.
Kadish, J. L., and Basch, R. S., 1975, Thymic regeneration after lethal irradiation: Evidence for an intrathymic radioresistant T cell precursor, J. Immunol. 114: 452–458.
Katsura, Y., Kina, T., Amagai, T., Tsubata, T., Hirayoshi, Y., Takaoki, T., Sado, T., and Nishikawa, S., 1986, Limiting dilution analysis of the stem cells for T cell lineage, J. Immunol. 137: 2434–2439.
Makinodan, T., Chang, M-P., Norman, D. C., and Li, S. C., 1987, Vulnerability of the T cells lineage to aging, in: Aging and the Immune Response: Cellular and Humoral Aspects ( E. A. Goidl, ed.), Dekker, New York, pp. 27–43.
Scollay, R., Butcher, E., and Weissman, I., 1980, Thymus migration: Quantitative studies on the rate of migration of cells from the thymus to the periphery in mice, Eur. J. Immunol. 10: 210.
Utsuyama, M., and Hirokawa, K., 1987, Age changes of splenic T cells in mice. A flow cytometric analysis, Mech. Aging Dev. 40: 89–102.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Plenum Press, New York
About this paper
Cite this paper
Hirokawa, K., Utsuyama, M., Kasai, M. (1990). Role of the Thymus in Aging of the Immune System. In: Goldstein, A.L. (eds) Biomedical Advances in Aging. GWUMC Department of Biochemistry Annual Spring Symposia. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0513-2_35
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0513-2_35
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7844-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0513-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive