DECREASE IN CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY IN UREMIA ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASE IN ACTIVITY OF SUPPRESSOR CELLS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 84  (1) , 1-10
Abstract
The graft-vs.-host (GVH) reactivity of uremic and control spleen cells was studied by popliteal lymph node assay in the rat. The reaction evoked by cells from animals with severe uremia was conspicuously weaker than that evoked by control cells. The magnitude of the GVH reaction induced by control cells was directly proportional to dose; with the uremic cells, the same increases in dose led only to insignificant increases in the strength of the GVH reaction. When mixtures of syngeneic control and uremic cells were used, the GVH reactivity of the control cells was suppressed. The activity of uremic spleen cells can be enhanced (restored) by removal of the subpopulation of cells adherent to glass wool. The GVH reaction induced by uremic cells so treated became directly proportional to dose. The removal of the adherent cell population from the uremic spleen cell suspension also led to the disappearance of the suppressor effect in mixtures of control and uremic cells. A decrease in GVH activity of rat uremic spleen cells is probably due to an increase in suppressor cell activity in the uremic spleen cell population.