Research Article
T lymphocytes in kidney allograft recipients.
Br Med J 1976; 1 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.6013.799 (Published 03 April 1976) Cite this as: Br Med J 1976;1:799
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- T Tursz,
- C Fournier,
- H Kreis,
- J Crosnier,
- J F Bach
Abstract
The spontaneous sheep erythrocyte (E) rosette test was used on 340 occasions to measure T cell levels in 28 renal allograft recipients. The E rosette counts were reduced by high-dose steroids but usually returned towards normal under maintenance treatment with azathioprine and low-dose prednisone. Unexpectedly, rejection crises were more often associated with a decrease in E rosettes before steroid treatment (12 cases) than with an increase in E rosettes (5 cases). Our results show the need for caution in using the E rosette test and more generally B and T cell markers for monitoring anti-graft immunity in renal allograft recipients.