Lymphocyte transformation test in adult patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

The lymphocyte transformation test was used to evaluate the cellular immune response in 31 adult patients with MCNS in comparison with 30 normal control and 49 patient (CRF, FSGN, MGN) control groups. The results showed that the stimulation indices of the lymphocytes in MCNS group were significantly lower than those of the normal control and patient control groups with the exception of CRF group. In cross studies, lymphocytes obtained from normal individuals were incubated in homologous serum obtained from MCNS patients in relapse, and lymphocytes from MCNS patients in relapse were incubated in normal homologous AB serum. In both circumstances there was a depressed lymphocyte function which indicates that there is a defect in lymphocyte itself as well as a serum inhibitory factor(s) during the active stage of the MCNS. This depressed cellular immune response returned to normal level during remission of the patients with MCNS.