[Changes in the cellular-humoral immune reactivity of patients with lupus nephritis and chronic glomerulonephritis treated with corticosteroids or corticosteroids and imuran].

The changes in cellular-humoral immune reactivity were followed up in 13 patients with lupus nephritis and 10 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis, treated with corticosteroids or with corticosteroids and imuran. A tendency to correction of lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte deficiency, inhibition of FsG- and FsM-receptor lymphocytes and of T-gamma and T-mu lymphocyte subpopulations was established in the patients with lupus nephritis, treated only with corticosteroids. The treatment with corticosteroids and imuran inhibited more sharply T gamma- and T-mu lymphocytes than with corticosteroids alone. It was established, in the patients with chronic glomerulonephritis, treated with corticosteroids, that GsG- and FsM-receptor lymphocytes were with significantly lower values than the non-treated ones. No significant changes were established in B-cellular reactivity and serum level of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) with the treatment with corticosteroids and corticosteroids and imuran in both nosological entities. C3- fraction of the complement in the lupus patients treated was with lower values than in the non-treated. The authors conclude that the corticosteroids and corticosteroids and imuran, inhibiting the reactivity of T-lymphocytes, regulating the immune-biological balance, should be cautiously used and under the control of the cellular populations, exposed to their effect.