Peripheral blood T lymphocytes found in renal allograft recipients treated with cyclosporine.

to that of the 12 patients who had pretransplant splenectomy (91.6 ± 7.9% and 66.1 ± 13.8% respectively). Posttransplant splenectomy produced the desired effects in all 11 patients in that the leukopenia was permanently reversed, significantly higher doses of cytotoxic drugs were tolerated, and serum creatinine levels declined. Although the numbers are small, this preliminary study is encouraging and indicates that selective posttransplant splenectomy may be a reasonable alternative to routine prophylactic pretransplant splenectomy in recipients of cadaveric renal allografts.