title: Cellular infiltrate in renal graft rejection: T lymphocyte subsets detected by monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: We have examined the interstitial cellular infiltrate using monoclonal antibodies against T cells (Cris 1), helper/inducer T cells (OKT4) and suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (OKT8) by indirect immunofluorescence in renal biopsies taken from 14 transplanted patients during clinical episodes suggestive of acute (n = 9), chronic (n = 2) and no rejection (n = 3). Infiltrating T cells and T cell subsets were found to be significantly increased during all types of rejection (n = 11) as compared to no rejection (n = 3). Two types of biopsies could be distinguished according to the predominance of T cell subsets. In some biopsies (n = 6), OKT8+ cells were significantly more numerous that OKT4+ cells. In the remaining biopsies (n = 5), OKT4+ cells were more common that OKT8+ cells, the OKT4/OKT8 ratio being significantly higher. No association was observed between HLA mismatch and predominating T cell subset, neither for type nor outcome of graft rejection. Our results suggest that the OKT4+ cells may play a more important role than previously reported in renal graft rejection.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal