Decreased antibody-dependent and spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity in patients with chronic renal failure.

Antibody-dependent and spontaneous lymphocytotoxicity of blood mononuclear cells from 15 patients with chronic renal failure was studied in allogeneic K-562 and xenogeneic chicken erythrocyte test systems. Both antibody-dependent and spontaneous cytotoxic activities were significantly decreased in uremic patients as compared to the corresponding mean values of healthy control persons and non-uremic patients with the same underlying diseases. The addition of autologous serum further reduced the impaired cytotoxic capacity of uremic lymphocytes. Uremic sera also inhibited the antibody-dependent and spontaneous lymphocytotoxicity of healthy individuals.