Renal transplantation at the Washington Hospital Center: experience with OKT3 and Minnesota antilymphoblast globulin for induction of immunosuppression.

These data demonstrate excellent long-term patient and graft survival rates when cytolytic induction therapy is combined with sequential addition of CsA. OKT3 and MAG produce virtually indistinguishable outcomes with low rates of rejection and DGF. The frequency of serious posttransplant complications, infection, rejection, and malignancy was low. Although both MAG and OKT3 are effective, each has its drawbacks. Problems associated with MAG therapy are leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, cumbersome administration, and difficulty monitoring the patient's specific level of induced immunosuppression. OKT3 is simpler to administer, easy to monitor, but first dose reactions may produce additional graft injury. Furthermore, OKT3 may not protect completely against all mechanisms of cellular rejection. In our patient population, the best results occurred when kidneys functioned immediately, when CsA was introduced promptly, and when there were several days of overlap, with MAG or OKT3, especially when OKT3 was used as the induction agent.