Cell-mediated immunity to a serologically defined (SD) HL-A antigen panel in kidney-transplanted patients.

The graft-directed, cell-mediated immunity in kidney-allografted patients was examined with a seriologically defined (SD), donor-unrelated panel of antigenic material in clinical steady state, soon after transplantation, and during acute rejection episodes. The SD antigens were selected from the panel on the basis of predictions hypothesized from the SD match of donor and recipient. The cell-mediated immunity was measured by the direct leukocyte migration agarose test (LMAT). Positive reactions in kidney-transplanted patients were induced particularly by one preparation (antigen 52) and were unpredictable on the basis of SD classification. The investigation shows that other antigenic determinants, different from SD antigens, probably play an important role as inducers of cell-mediated, graft-associated immunity in kidney-transplanted patients.