Monitoring of NK-1 and NK-15 subsets and natural killer activity in kidney transplant recipients receiving cyclosporine.

NK-1, NK-15 subsets and natural killer (NK) activity were studied in 13 patients, before undergoing renal transplantation and in the post-transplant period. Pretransplant there was a significant reduction of NK activity with a defect in Vmax capacity in all patients. NK-1+ and NK-15+ cell number was normal or slightly increased in all subjects. Post-transplant evaluation under cyclosporine immunosuppression showed a quantitative reduction in NK cells while no changes in NK activity and killing activity have been seen. We conclude that in spite of a numerical decrease, NK activity was not affected by cyclosporine treatment.