Diminished integrin expression on granulocytes from renal allograft recipients

Integrin (beta 2 subunit of the LEU-CAM family, CD18) expression on peripheral blood and urinary granulocytes was studied in renal allograft recipients. Circulating granulocyte CD18 expression was normal except for patients with CMV infection. In contrast, the majority of patients with urinary tract infection had low numbers of CD18+ cells collected from urine, and the same abnormality could also be observed in approx. 50% of non-infected recipients. These disturbances were associated with transplantation, as no such deficits were seen in the infected non-transplant patients or patients with glomerular diseases on immunosuppression. Short culture of granulocytes with immunosuppressants did not diminish integrin expression. Deficient granulocyte integrin expression, especially in urinary tract, may be associated with increased susceptibility to infection in renal transplant recipients, although immunosuppression alone could not be incriminated as a sole factor responsible for this deficit.