Defective lymphoproliferative responses and interleukin-2 production in chronic renal failure patients

Cellular immune responses were evaluated in 12 early renal failure (ERP) patients who were not on maintenance haemodialysis, 43 end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on haemodialysis (no) and 25 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of ERF and ESRD patients on no had a significantly diminished lymphoproliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin and a monoclonal antibody to the CD3 (anti-CD3) receptor on T-cells as compared to normals. The interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by the PBMC was also significantly reduced in renal failure patients as compared to normals. These data suggest that both IL-2 dependent and IL-2 independent T-cell functions are defective in renal failure patients.