title: Neopterin and interferon gamma serum levels in renal allograft recipients.
abstract: In the follow-up of children receiving renal allografts the early differential diagnosis of infections and rejection episodes is the main problem. Serum levels of neopterin (N), a pteridine released from stimulated macrophages, was determined by radioimmunoassay. Also interferon-gamma (IF) serum levels, a marker of T lymphocyte activity, were determined with an immunoradiometric assay in 19 kidney-transplanted children. Both, infections and rejection episodes, are accompanied by distinct increases in N. The IF are elevated 1-3 days earlier than N, the median values during infections being significantly (p less than or equal to 0.001) higher than those during rejection crises. The routine measurement of N and IF allow the simple, quick and reliable monitoring of the immune status, which seems to be of a high relevance for the daily monitoring of transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Khoss
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balzar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Howanietz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wladika
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Woloszczuk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D019798:Neopterin
chemical_list: D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D007371:Interferon-gamma