CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE-RESPONSES IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS TREATEDWITH CYCLOSPORINE AND PREDNISOLONE WITH OR WITHOUT AZATHIOPRINE

The cell-mediated immune response was studied, using mixed lymphocyte reactivity (MLR) and cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) tests, in patient s with well-functioning kidney grafts from living donors at 6 and 12 m onths and at 2-5 years after transplantation. The patients were alloca ted to treatment with cyclosporin A (CyA) and prednisolone (group A) o r with CyA, prednisolone and azathioprine (group B). The MLR towards a third party were in the range of that of untreated controls while the anti-donor activities were reduced after 6 months in both groups. The CML activities in group A towards a third party were in the range of that of untreated controls at all times, while the anti-donor activiti es were decreased. By contrast, the CML activities in group B towards a third party were decreased during the first year and were in the ran ge of that of normal controls at 2-5 years. The anti-donor CML activit ies were low at all times in group B. In summary, the two CyA protocol s allowed the induction of donor-specific unresponsiveness within the first post-transplant year. The anti-third party activities were low d uring the first post-transplant year in recipients with triple therapy but not in those without azathioprine.