Identification of inflammatory cells infiltrating renal allografts

Eight nephrectomies and 13 biopsies of renal allografts (living 15, cadaveric 6) were investigated on the origin of inflammatory cells in the graft tissues by the use of an immunohistologic method (ABC method). Various monoclonal antibodies and heterosera were used to identify different leukocyte subsets. In all specimens the most predominant inflammatory cells were T cells. Other cells decreased in the following order; B cells, neutrophils and monocytes, and natural killer cells. In T cell subsets Leu 2a-positive cells (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells) predominated over Leu 3a-positive cells (helper/inducer T cells) in 4 nephrectomies (living 1, cadaveric 3) and 12 biopsies (living 11, cadaveric 1). Among these 16 cases, 7 were undergoing acute rejection in various degrees, and 9 were without clinical rejection. In the former 7 cases only one was suffering from another disease. In contrast, Leu 3a-positive cells predominated over Leu 2a-positive cells in 1 biopsy (living) and 4 nephrectomies (living 2, cadaveric 2). Four of these 5 cases concurrently had other diseases in addition to acute rejection. Two cases underwent acute tubular necrosis (cadaveric graft nephrectomies) and 2 underwent chronic rejection and crescentic glomerulonephritis (living graft nephrectomies). The one remaining case was without clinical rejection.