Circulating T-lymphocyte sub-subsets and NK-like cells in renal transplant patients: patterns associated with rejection.

The patterns of circulating T sub-subset and NK-like cells were monitored in 87 renal transplant patients on a total of 122 occasions. Combinations of monoclonal antibodies were used in two-colour flow cytometric (FACS) analysis to define the major T helper/inducer and T suppressor/cytotoxic subsets and their activated counterparts, the T suppressor inducer and T suppressor effector sub-subsets, NK-like cells and their activated counterparts. In patients with rejection, the proportions of T suppressor inducer and T suppressor effector cells were less and the proportion of activated NK-like cells greater compared with cases exhibiting stable graft function, and these group differences were highly significant. Analysis with stepwise multivariate logistic regression showed that combinations of several functional/activated lymphocyte subsets allow a predictive diagnostic power which is superior to the use of single variables.