A mouse model for delayed-type hypersensitivity skin changes in chronic renal failure.

Cellular immunity in mice with chronic renal failure was assessed by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin testing. Normal, sham-operated, and C57BL/6 mice with chronic renal failure were sensitized and challenged with oxazolone, a contact-sensitizing agent. The magnitude of the DTH response was determined by sequential measurements of ear thickness following local challenge. Consistently lower DTH responses were observed in mice with chronic renal failure. DTH responses in mice with renal failure were highest at 48 hr postchallenge (9.3 +/- 1.3) but still significantly lower (p less than 0.05) than those in both sham-operated (12.9 +/- 0.7) and normal mice (12.6 +/- 1.0). When compared with those of the other groups, DTH responses of sham-operated animals were brisker (24 hr), while those of normal mice were more sustained (72 hr). These results confirm previously reported observations in end-stage renal disease patients. The mouse, along with appropriate skin testing, appears to be a useful model for studying cellular immunity in chronic renal failure.