Soluble HLA class I antigens in pediatric patients with renal transplants from related living donors without acute rejection and treated with triple therapy.
All HLA class I Ag-expressing cells may be the source of serum Ag sHLA I. T and B lymphocytes secrete considerable amounts of Ag sHLA I in a variety of in vitro and in vivo activation systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of Ag sHLA I in serum of children with kidney transplants from related living donors without acute rejection and with triple therapy. We studied 25 patients (2-21 years) with first kidney transplant, 19 individuals (10-20 years) undergoing hemodialysis without transplant, and 25 normal children (4-21 years). The levels of Ag sHLA in transplant patients was 0.2-3.2 micrograms/ml (mean = 1.04). The hemodialyzed patients was 0.48-4.5 micrograms/ml (mean = 2.09), and the normal control was 0.30-4.38 micrograms/ml (mean = 2.04). A statistically significant reduction was observed in transplant patients compared to normal control and hemodialyzed patients (p < 0.05 in both cases), whereas between normal and hemodialyzed patients no significant difference was seen (p > 0.05). The reduced levels of Ag sHLA I in blood could be an expression of adequate immunosuppressive treatment.
Tambutti
M L
ML
Histocompatibility Department, Hospital Italiano De Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ferraris
J R
JR
Redal
M A
MA
Ramirez
J A
JA
Prigoshin
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic / Q000276:immunology*
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D016572:Cyclosporine; D001379:Azathioprine; D008775:Methylprednisolone