Immunologic Studies in Human Organ Transplantation. III. The Relationship of Delayed Cutaneous Hypersensitivity to the Onset of Attempted Kidney Allograft Rejection*

Abstract

26 patients with chronic uremia were studied with respect to their ability to demonstrate delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity re actions to a panel of antigens. All of the patients subsequently received kidney allografts from living donors. Those patients in whom delayed hypersensitivity reactions could be demonstrated, the responsive group, manifested evidence of attempted allograft rejection significantly earlier than those patients with no reactions, the unresponsive group (4,2 days vs. 15.2 days). These differences were independent of the duration of ischemia of the transplanted kidney, the age of the patient, and the relationship of the donor to the recipient. These observations suggest that the chronically uremic patient with the most profound reduction in delayed cutaneous responsiveness is also less able to respond to a kidney allograft. The clinical implications of these observations are discussed.