title: Monoclonal versus polyclonal antibody therapy for prophylaxis against rejection after heart transplantation.
abstract: Between August 1986 and December 1987, 88 patients received either RATG or OKT3 for immunoprophylaxis before heart transplantation. By the end of the first month after transplantation, 25% of the patients who received RATG had experienced a rejection episode compared with 43% of those receiving OKT3. This difference was persistent as many as 4 months after transplantation. While 50% of the OKT3 patients had a second episode of rejection, only 35% of the RATG patients did so. Randomization of these agents was complicated by severe cardiopulmonary side effects attributed to the first dose of OKT3. Five hours after the first dose of OKT3, a 25% drop in mean arterial pressure, accompanied by significant hypoxia, was seen in a majority of patients. There was no difference in the incidence of infection between the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15261.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kormos
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Herlan
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeevi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duquesnoy
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hardesty
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D016853:Muromonab-CD3