Side-effects of a monoclonal antibody, muromonab CD3/orthoclone OKT3: bibliographic review.

Orthoclone OKT3 is a very powerful immunosuppressive drug marketed by Laboratory Cilag and the first monoclonal murine antibody to become available for therapy in humans. It is indicated in acute allograft rejection treatment and its side-effects are strongly linked with its mechanism of action, ORT/OKT3 is an Ig2a immunoglobulin produced by hybridoma technique that recognizes, binds and blocks the CD3 complex of the T-cell receptor. Two types of side-effects may occur that are either the consequences of overimmunosuppression or activation of immune system, since ORT/OKT3 behaves as a foreign antigen. This report is a bibliographic review of the suspected side-effects of this product.