The immunocytomonitorization technique (CIM - Cytological and Immunologic Monitoring) is based on assessment of changes in the subpopulations of lyphocyte and their precursor cells, while under the acute rejection. The method assesses the precocious activation by counting the number of the lymphocytes normal and actives, lymphoblasts and prolymphocytes (here we state in terms of a set of active lymphocytes). The technique was applied to follow-up and control of activity of cellular immunology in nine patients submitted to cardiac transplantation, twenty normal volunteers, and five patients candidates to cardiac transplantation. We also submitted to the CIM test, in order to obtain the normal range of lymphocytic activity in the brazilian population. Both groups had not antecedents, either infectious or immunological, chronic or acute pictures. Ten patients with acute bacteriological or viral infection had been tested as a positive control. In normal individuals, we found 1,8% (+/- 1.088) of active lymphocytes and 3,2% (+/0,49) in candidates for cardiac transplantation. In our experience, values above are indicators of an immunological reactivity related to infection or rejection. Out of the 63 tests performed to the cardiac transplanted patients, four of them were positive, three cases related to infectious complications and one was confirmed as a process of acute graft rejection in progress. The mean time for the CIM execution was about two hours. The method was successful for the immunological diagnosis in transplanted cardiacs, due to its sensibility, low costs and promptness of results.
immunocytomonitorization in heart transplantation; heart transplantation; heart transplantation