Direct cell mediated lympholysis. A test of allograft-rejection in human kidney recipients.

In kidney transplanted patients a clear coincidence was observed between clinical signs of allograft rejection and the presence in the peripheral blood of killer cells able to lyse either PHA lymphoblasts from the actual donor or selected unrelated individuals. In recipients with non-immunological complications such as leakage on the graft ureter or primary anuria caused by renal ischaemia, no cellular cytotoxicity against specific or selected target cells was observed. The specificity of this Cell Mediated Lympholysis in two of the cases reported could not be explained by the serologically detectable HL-A antigens, indicating the existence of other determinants of importance for the killing capability of in vivo produced effector cells.