A pretransplant ‘Booster’ Dose of an Anti-t-Activated RATG (anti-jurkat) Induces massive endogenous IL-10 release with Transient Drastic Lymphocyte Depletion at the Priming Time of Antigen Presentation with 100% of Patients and Graft Survival at a Mean of 30 Months in 17 Kidney Retransplantations.

Abstract

Experimentally manipulation of cytokine networks is a realistic opportunity for tolerance induction in transplantation but graft tolerance is also influenced by the timing of immunosuppression, the degree of blockade of costimulatory signals and adhesion molecules, production of IL-10, Th1/Th2 ratio and T-cell depletion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new induction protocol using a pretransplant ‘booster’ dose of an anti-T-activated rabbit polyclonal antibody (ATG, Fresenius) anti-Jurkat, given pre- and intraoperatively in order to achieve maximal immunosuppression at the priming time of antigen presentation. ATG-F contains specificities against adhesion molecules (LFA-1, ICAM-1, CD2), and important costimulatory signals (CD28) and many others, stimulates IL-10 production, induces T-cell depletion and has a long half-life of more than 15 days.