gd T cells and serum IL-6 levels could provide information regarding the progression of human renal allograft

MALAN BOREL I; RACCA AL; GARCIA MI; BAILAT A; QUIROGA F; SOUTULLO A; GAITE L

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY

Blackwell Science

Lugar: Bergen - Noruega; Año: 2003 vol. 58 p. 99 - 105

0300-9475

We have determined the percentage of ab and gd T cells by flow cytometry as well as serum IL-6 and sIL-6R levels by ELISA in kidney allograft recipients with acute, chronic or stable graft evolution. The percentage of CD4 and CD8 T cells in transplanted patients was lower than in the control group (p<0.001) with the exception of CD8 gd T cells from patients with stable evolution (p>0.05). The serum levels of IL-6 and sIL-6R in acute and chronic rejection were higher than in controls (p<0.05). No differences in IL-6 levels were observed between stable evolution and control groups (p>0.05). The levels of sIL-6R were higher in stable evolution patients than in the controls (p<0.05) and no differences were observed between chronic and stable evolution patients (p>0.05). IL-6 decreased in patients with a favorable evolution, increased in those with an increased renal dysfunction, and were maintained when the renal dysfunction was not modified. These results suggest that gd T cells could participate in renal allograft maintenance and that IL-6 but not sIL-6R serum levels may provide a prognostic marker for measuring the evolution of kidney allograft.