title: Prospective randomized trial of OKT3- versus horse antithymocyte globulin-based immunosuppressive prophylaxis in heart transplantation.
abstract: To compare monoclonal anti-T3-receptor antibody (OKT3) and horse antithymocyte globulin (HATG) immunoprophylaxis, 23 heart transplant recipients were randomized to OKT3 (N = 12) 5 mg IV x 14 days of HATG (N = 11) 5 mg/kg IV x 10 days and followed up for 216 +/- 137 days receiving triple immunosuppression. Recipient groups were demographically and clinically similar. First rejection occurred later in OKT3 recipients vs HATG recipients (31.7 +/- 18.3 vs 15.1 +/- 2.3 days; p less than 0.01), but the first rejection necessitating intensified immunosuppression occurred at similar times (30.9 +/- 14.6 vs 21.9 +/- 10.2 days; NS). Phenotypic characterization of peripheral blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry revealed that OKT3 and HATG recipients had similar decreases in total T lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations. During the follow-up period rejection rates in the OKT3- and in the HATG-treated patients were 3.4 +/- 2.7 and 5.9 +/- 4.7, respectively (NS). The number of rejection episodes per recipient treated with intensified immunosuppression was 1.4 +/- 1.2 in the OKT3- and 2.0 +/- 3.1 in the HATG-treated patients (NS). Infection rates were 4.9 +/- 5.2 in the OKT3- and 2.7 +/- 1.7 in the HATG-treated patients (NS). The number of infection episodes that necessitated intravenous antimicrobial therapy was 2.7 +/- 2.3 in the OKT3- and 1.6 +/- 1.3 in the HATG-treated recipients (NS). The number and length of hospitalizations were similar in patients given OKT3-based or HATG-based immunoprophylaxis. We conclude that immunosuppressive prophylaxis with OKT3 vs HATG in heart transplant recipients is associated with a slightly lower incidence and severity of rejection and slightly higher infection rates.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill 60153.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Costanzo-Nordin
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pifarre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radvany
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zucker
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016853:Muromonab-CD3