Lymphocyte transformation in chronic renal failure.

Abstract

The transformation of cultured lymphocytes in response to stimulation by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and purified protein derivative (PPD) in nineteen patients with chronic renal failure and four normal controls was studied. This was significantly lower in the patients than in the controls in response to both stimulants. Among the patients those with blood urea level higher than 200 mg/ml showed a transformation rate significantly higher than those with lower levels of blood urea in response to PHA. Mean values of transformation rate were lower in patients of the older age group (>50 years) and in the more chronic cases (>5 years) but the differences were not statistically significant.