In vitro reactivity of human lymphocytes in uraemia--a comparison with the impairment of delayed hypersensitivity

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of forty patients with uraemia were cultured in autologous plasma without and in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin for 72 hr. The in vitro response was evaluated morphologically and by [³H]uridine uptake. In patients with severe uraemia (blood urea nitrogen at least 100 mg/100 ml) the in vitro response was significantly reduced. In twenty patients and twenty normal controls delayed hypersensitivity was tested with tuberculin, trichophytin and streptokinase-streptodornase intradermally. Anergic patients were defined as those without response to any of the three test antigens. A significantly reduced in vitro response was found in anergic patients, whereas in the others the in vitro reactivity was comparable to the controls.