Comparison of cell-mediated lympholysis and mixed lymphocyte culture in the immunologic evaluation for renal transplantation.

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between both pre-transplant cell-mediated lympholysis assay (CML) and mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) and transplant outcome (graft function and survival) in 33 living, related donor renal transplants performed during the past 5 yr. Both assays were excellent predictors of transplant outcome. A positive CML assay was correlated with the occurrence of early acute rejection episodes (p less than 0.005), shortened time to graft dysfunction (serum creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dl) (p less than 0.001), and poor long-term graft survival (p = 0.07). Similarly, a positive MLC was correlated with acute rejection episodes (p less than 0.005), graft dysfunction (p = 0.001), and poor graft survival (p less than 0.01). To determine the relative prognostic significance of the CML and MLC assays, we compared the correlation of each of them with the occurrence of acute rejection episodes. Under a logistic model of probability, the CML and MLC assays were equally predictive of an early acute rejection episode (p less than 0.01); however, the combination of CML and MLC together improved the accuracy of the prediction of an acute rejection episode by 50%. These results indicate that the CML and MLC assays are independent predictors of transplant outcome and that both tests should be an integral part of the immunologic evaluation of prospective living, related donors for renal transplantation.