Age-related autoantibody production in a nonhuman primate model

Autoantibody production increases with ageing. However, the pathological si gnificance of this increase as well as the corresponding underlying mechani sms are poorly understood. To further our understanding of the role that ag eing plays in the development of autoantibody responses, we used a novel no nhuman primate model consisting of healthy baboons of ages representing the entire lifespan of this animal species. Results from this study indicate t hat production of antinuclear antibodies, anticell extract antibodies and n atural autoantibodies gradually and significantly increases from young age to old age without a corresponding increase in neither serum immunoglobulin concentration nor in levels of selected markers of immune dysregulation (s TNF-RI, sTNF-RII, IL-2 sR alpha and IFN-gamma). Therefore, in the baboon mo del, autoantibodies may be produced in absence of recognizable pathological conditions of the ageing immune system.