Human T lymphocytes in aging and malignancy: abnormalities in PHA-induced Ia antigen expression and in functional activity in autologous and allogeneic MLR.

T lymphocytes from patients with solid tumors and from aged donors are abnormal in their expression of Ia antigens following in vitro stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Ia antigens were not detected on PHA-activated T lymphocytes from 15 of 27 patients with solid tumors. The abnormality in T lymphocytes from 25 donors older than 60 years was evidenced by a reduction in the percentage of T cells acquiring Ia antigens following stimulation with suboptimal amounts of PHA and by a delayed appearance of those antigens. In both groups of donors the defect in Ia antigen expression by PHA-activated T cells did not correlate with the reduced [3H]thymidine uptake. PHA-activated T cells from aged donors and from patients with solid tumors were poorly stimulatory in autologous and allogenic mixed lymphocyte reactions. Furthermore, T lymphocytes from these two groups of donors displayed a reduced proliferative response to autologous non-T cells, but a normal proliferative response to allogeneic PHA-activated T cells and to non-T cells from control subjects.