Short-term thoracic duct drainage in drug resistant immunologically mediated glomerulonephritis. Evaluation of lymph and blood lymphocyte characteristics during drainage.

Thoracic duct drainage has so far been employed in clinical nephrology mainly in renal transplantation and in immunologically mediated glomerulonephritis. The effectiveness of duct drainage in producing immunosuppression has been widely demonstrated, and several authors have used long-term, and others short-term drainage. 12 patients suffering from drug resistant immunologically mediated glomerulonephritis were treated with short-term (mean 10 days) thoracic duct drainage. In order to define the time, type and evolution of changes in immunological status, humoral and cellular immunity were studied daily in all patients. Marked changes (mainly in the number of lymphocytes drained and in their nucleic acid content and E-rosette forming capacity) take place in the first (4-5) days of drainage. These findings, together with positive clinical and laboratory results obtained in our patients, suggest that satisfactory immunosuppression may be achieved by short-term drainage, which is simpler and safer than long-term drainage. The procedure might thus be extended to a wider number of immunological diseases where drug therapy fails to take effect.