In vitro immunoresponsiveness in recipients of cadaveric renal allografts during ATG therapy.

Anti-human-T-cell-globulin (ATG-Fresenius) was given prophylactically in a fixed dose of 2mg per kg bodyweight to 32 renal allograft recipients in addition to a conventional immunosuppressive regimen, over a period of 20 days. ATG therapy resulted in a significant decrease of circulating T-lymphocytes, whereas B-lymphocytes remained unaffected. The mitogen reactivity during therapy paralleled the T-lymphocyte profile with a maximum decrease on day 8. With in vitro testing of ATG immunoresponsiveness it could be demonstrated that patients with rejection episodes after transplantation reacted differently from patients without signs of rejection. Actuarial patient and graft survival was about 5% higher in the ATG treated group of patients than in retrospective controls.