E1Cold cytotoxic antibodies in kidney graft recipients

Serial serum samples from 39 renal allograft recipients were screened for cold and warm cytotoxic antibodies before and after grafting. In the group of patients who developed antibodies only after grafting, 6 had cytotoxins reactive at 37 degree C and 5 had cytotoxins reactive at 15 degree. At one year, all the patients with cold alloantibodies has functioning grafts, but none of the patients with warm antibodies had kept their graft. In three patients with cold antibodies, the cytotoxins reacted with a subpopulation of cells enriched in B lymphocytes but not with T cells eluted from nylon wool columns. This suggests that certain kinds of antibodies which appear in the blood after grafting may have enhancing properties.