HETEROPHILE ANTIBODIES IN THE SERA FROM RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 48  (6) , 519-524
Abstract
Microcytotoxicity tests with the sera from renal transplant recipients against cultured B[bone marrow-derived]-cell lines were performed by using guinea pig complement. Of 106 sera, 18 showed strong cytotoxicity against cultured cell lines. The same results were obtained by using normal human serum as a complement [C] source. These sera did not show any cytotoxicity against normal peripheral T[thymus-derived]- and B-lymphocytes. The sera containing the cytotoxicity against cultured B cell lines had high-titered heterophile antibodies [Ab] against bovine red blood cells (BRBC) when hemolysis in agar gel with guinea pig C was used. The sera without cytotoxicity did not have high-titered heterophile Ab. The sera with cytotoxicity against cultured B cell lines reacted in the same way against human tonsillar lymphocytes cultured with the medium containing fetal calf serum or human serum. The antigenicity of cultured cells was not affected by the fetal calf serum in the culture medium. After absorption with BRBC, the sera lost their cytotoxicity against cultured cells. Hemolysins in the sera were almost completely removed after absorption of the sera with cultured cells. The sera from renal transplant recipients apparently contained heterophile Ab which reacted with the cells of some cultured B cell lines and tonsillar lymphocytes.