[The clinical effect of ATG and OKT3 on the treatment of refractory rejection after cadavaric kidney transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of ATG and OKT3 on the treatment of refractory rejection, including acute and chronic rejection after cadaveric kidney transplantation. METHOD: 87 patients with refractory rejection after cadaveric kidney transplantation were treated by using ATG (13 patients) and OKT3 (74). A total dose of 1 000 mg for ATG group or 45 mg for OKT3 group was administered for each patient. RESULT: Two accelerating rejection and acute rejection were reversed and 7 in the ATG group, 90.00% (27/30) and 90.47% (38/42) in the OKT3 group respectively. A significant difference of total reverse rates was seen between the ATG and OKT3 groups (69.23% verse 90.28%, P < 0.05). In retransplant patients, the reverse rate of acute rejection by OKT3 was 91.67% (11/12). But OKT3 did not show any effect in patients with chronic rejection. CONCLUSION: OKT3 is better than ATG for reversing the refractory rejection, especially in retransplant patients, but it has no any effect on chronic rejection.