Use of rabbit anti-human thymocyte globulin in cadaver kidney transplantation. Preliminary experiences.

Rabbit anti-human thymocyte globulin was given as an adjunctive immunosuppressive agent to 23 recipients of cadaver kidneys in the immediate 14 day post-transplantation period. A drastic reduction in the number of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was recorded and there was a very low frequency (13%) of early, acute rejection episodes. Two to 8 months after transplantation 13 of 14 patients (93%) below 55 years of age survive with a functioning graft. Among 9 older recipients, the patient and graft survival was 56 and 33% and 4 of the patients died with septic complications. It is concluded that the elderly patients were over-immunosuppressed and we will no longer use RATG in this patient category.