[Preventive administration of antithymocyte globulin in combined immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A, azathioprine and prednisone in kidney transplantation].

Forty-five patients after transplantation of the kidney from a dead donor were treated by a triple combination of cyclosporin A, azathioprine and prednisone. In patients where during the first two days after transplantation the function of the graft was not restored, cyclosporin A was reduced and treatment supplemented by a combination of four by prophylactic administration of ATG for a period of 7 days. A total of 18 patients had a complete prophylactic dose of ATG. The results in this group were compared with a historical comparable group of 27 subjects treated only with the triple combination of drugs without reduction of cyclosporin A. In patients treated with ATG the mean initial function of the graft was reduced only insignificantly and the one-year survival of the graft was only insignificantly better than in the control group. During the first two months after transplantation there were significantly more leucopenic episodes in patients treated with ATG, however, no direct relationship with the latter was proved. The number of infectious complications in these patients was lower than in the control group.