Thymectomy as immunosuppression in uremic patients

Five uremic patients awaiting renal transplantation underwent transcervical thymectomy in an evaluation of the immunosuppressive effect of removal of the thymus in such transplantations. A number of immunological parameters, including lymphocyte transformation tests, were followed in these patients for up to 30 weeks after thymectomy. The number of B lymphocytes in the blood, stem cells in bone marrow, and T lymphocytes in lymph nodes decreased, whereas IgG, IgA, and IgM in four cases and C3 complement in all five cases increased. Blood leucocyte and lymphocyte counts did not show any characteristic changes. The T cell response of circulating lymphocytes was determined after stimulation with mitogens, specific antigens, and allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocyte culture, and showed a large increase. Thymectomy of uremic patients results in a considerable increase in immunocompetence in the first 30 weeks, indicating that it is not suitable as an immunosuppressive treatment.