The immunological significance of cellular infiltrates in chronic rejection of human kidney transplants

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Abstract
Fifteen transplanted human kidneys with clinical and histological signs of chronic rejection were examined microscopically for cellular infiltration. Three normal kidneys were used as a reference. All infiltrating cells were classified and counted. The average number of cells per 10 microscopic fields was called the relative density of cellular infiltrates. Differences in the densities of different cell classes and changes in the cellular infiltration of the grafts were regarded as cellular expressions of the immune response. Cleaved lymphocytes were the most frequent of the infiltrating cells found in the transplants. However, their role is not yet clear.