Induction therapy with basiliximab or thymoglobulin after kidney transplantation modifies the expression of lymphocyte subsets, including the Treg cells (CD127lowCD25high). Though this may influence the renal graft function, it has barely been studied using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). In a cross-sectional study of 27 kidney transplant recipients (aged 53.5±15 year; 19 men and 8 women) with no acute rejection we studied by flow cytometry the expression of the receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 in CD127highCD25low and Treg cells of the graft obtained six months post-transplant. Overall, the patients who received basiliximab (as compared with thymoglobulin) had a greater percentage of CD4 T cells (31.4±10.3% versus 19.5±12.3%; P=0.033) and a lower proportion of CD8 T cells (22.7±12.5 versus 43.1±23.7%; P=0.020) in the FNAC and peripheral blood samples. As previously reported, thymoglobulin was associated with an increased percentage of Treg cells as compared with basiliximab (13.2±10.7 vs. 9.5±6%), though this trend was not seen in the FNAC samples (9.1±6.7 vs. 9.5±7%). The patients with post-transplant delayed graft function had increased CD8 T cells (39.5±21 vs. 19.6±14.5%; P=0.029) and expression of the receptor CCR4 on the Treg cells (14±22.4 vs. 9.6±17%) as compared with those who had immediate graft function. Likewise, a worse renal function (Crs≥2 mg/dL) was associated with a similar result after the FNAC (CD8: 44.6±14.6 vs. 24.5±20, P=0.06 and CCR4: 24±27 vs. 7.6±14.7%; P=0.09). In summary, monitoring the expression of the chemokine receptors CCR4 and CXCR3 by flow cytometry in the conventional CD4 T cell and Treg subsets obtained by FNAC may be a useful tool to study the course of the immune response in transplant patients with delayed graft function and worsening graft function.

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