INCREASED V-H-11 AND V-H-Q52 GENE USE BY SPLENIC B-CELLS IN OLD MICE ASSOCIATED WITH OLIGOCLONAL EXPANSIONS OF CD5+B CELLS

A significant increase in the utilization of the V-H gene families VH1 1 and Q52 was observed in LPS-stimulated splenic B lymphocytes from ag ed mice compared to young mice. V-H gene usage was assayed by in situ DNA/RNA hybridization using V-H family-specific and kappa chain probes . The observed age-dependent differences appear to reflect the prefere ntial use of VH11 and Q52 V-H gene use by the CD5 + B lymphocyte subse t whose numbers in the spleen increase with age. The increased use of VH11 by splenic cells from old mice is associated with clonal expansio ns of splenic CD5 + B lymphocytes. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.