Monoclonal antibody treatment in rheumatoid arthritis: the clinical and immunological effects of a CD7 monoclonal antibody.

Six patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with a CD7 mouse monoclonal antibody, RFT2, daily for 15 days. Only two patients had a significant improvement in clinical disease activity which lasted 7-14 days. No serious adverse effects occurred although all patients developed antibodies against mouse immunoglobulin. During treatment T-lymphocyte numbers decreased and T-lymphocyte CD7 expression was absent in all but one patient.