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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Isolation of Double Negative αβ T Cells from the Kidney
Published on: May 16, 2014
Deep immunological resetting in refractory systemic lupus erythematosus post-kidney transplantation: A longitudinal
Ru-Fang Zheng1, Jeng-Wei Lu2,3,4, Yi-Jung Ho5,6
1Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
BackgroundA 66-year-old female with a 15-year history of refractory lupus nephritis, complicated by severe hypersplenism requiring splenectomy and 8 years of hemodialysis, successfully underwent deceased-donor kidney transplantation. Post-transplantation, she achieved an unprecedented, durable serological remission with a distinctive biphasic platelet recovery. MethodsTo monitor her immune reconstitution, we performed longitudinal peripheral blood immunophenotyping, contextualized against an active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort and an age-matched healthy control group to account for immunosenescence. ResultsNotably, the B-cell repertoire maintained a persistently stable, low-end baseline of marginal zone B cells within the age-appropriate spectrum, reflecting the static legacy of her prior splenectomy. In sharp contrast to this static background, the T-cell compartment demonstrated a dynamic, within-subject V-shaped recovery of killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 + effector memory cytotoxic T cells (KLRG1 + EM Tc cells) from an active-disease baseline to age-appropriate healthy levels. Conclusions This case illustrates that KLRG1 + effector memory cytotoxic T cell recovery is a signature of genuine immunological remission rather than mere aging or historical confounders, suggesting its potential as a precision biomarker for monitoring post-transplant immune stability in SLE.
BackgroundA 66-year-old female with a 15-year history of refractory lupus nephritis, complicated by severe hypersplenism requiring splenectomy and 8 years of hemodialysis, successfully underwent deceased-donor kidney transplantation. Post-transplantation, she achieved an unprecedented, durable serological remission with a distinctive biphasic platelet recovery. MethodsTo monitor her immune reconstitution, we performed longitudinal peripheral blood immunophenotyping, contextualized against an active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort and an age-matched healthy control group to account for immunosenescence. ResultsNotably, the B-cell repertoire maintained a persistently stable, low-end baseline of marginal zone B cells within the age-appropriate spectrum, reflecting the static legacy of her prior splenectomy. In sharp contrast to this static background, the T-cell compartment demonstrated a dynamic, within-subject V-shaped recovery of killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 + effector memory cytotoxic T cells (KLRG1 + EM Tc cells) from an active-disease baseline to age-appropriate healthy levels. Conclusions This case illustrates that KLRG1 + effector memory cytotoxic T cell recovery is a signature of genuine immunological remission rather than mere aging or historical confounders, suggesting its potential as a precision biomarker for monitoring post-transplant immune stability in SLE.
