Enhancement of the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) in children splenectomized after trauma.

Splenectomized individuals have been reported to have many immunological abnormalities. We have studied the proliferative response of T cells in AMLR of nine children who had undergone splenectomy after trauma. T cells from splenectomized patients showed increased proliferative response in AMLR as compared with that observed in parallelly studied controls (38.480 +/- 19.700 vs 11.160 +/- 3.760 dpm). The percentage of CD4 cells was diminished in the group of splenectomized patients. We found strong correlation between AMLR and time after splenectomy (r = -0.81, p less than 0.01). Possible mechanism of elevated AMLR following splenectomy and hypotheses on generation of AMLR are discussed.