Altered immunoregulatory function in long-term renal allograft recipients.
In order to determine immunoregulatory lymphocyte subsets in patients with long surviving renal allografts, a study utilising functionally characterised monoclonal antibodies with analysis by flow cytometry using a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter was carried out. Cells from 35 patients with allograft survival from one to 15 years were analysed with monoclonal antibodies for the following markers: inducer-helper, cytotoxic-suppressor, monocytes, Ia, IgG and IgM. Control groups consisted of long-term dialysis patients and a group of normal individuals. The results show a strikingly significant difference between the long-term allograft recipients and the control population in terms of the inversion of the normal inducer-helper to cytotoxic-suppressor ratio. Additionally, there were significant differences in the number of Ia+ cells in long-term transplant patients and dialysis patients compared with normals. No impressive differences were found in the numbers of Ig bearing cells. Thus the long-term allograft state is a clear example of an overabundance of cellular suppression and may explain many of the general phenomena seen in surviving recipients.
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M