Identification of natural suppressor cells in long-term renal allograft recipients

We have previously reported an abnormal expansion of CD9 + Leu7 + (CD67 + ) large granular lymphocytes in long-term renal allograft recipients. These cells lacked NK activity, T-helper activity and did not respond to T cell mitogens. The following studies were done in order to further define the functional characteristics of these cells. We sorted CD9 + Leu7 + T cells from the peripheral blood of 46 recipients (all with good renal allograft function), and found that these cells suppress mixed lymphocyte culture responses and pokeweed mitogen-induced IgG secretion in a non-genetically restricted manner