Abstract | BACKGROUND: This retrospective single-center study compared lymphocyte depletion in 144 heart transplant recipients using 2 different induction protocols with Thymoglobulin (Genzyme Transplant, Cambridge, MA). METHODS:
Thymoglobulin (1.5 mg/kg) was given to 105 patients for 7 days (Thymo7) and 39 patients for 5 days (Thymo5). RESULTS: Patient clinical characteristics were similar except that the Thymo7 group had a higher prevalence of women (33% vs 15%, p = 0.04), gender mismatch (35% vs 19%, p = 0.07), donor African American race (19% vs 2%, p = 0.008), older donor age (35 +/- 13 vs 31 +/- 12, p = 0.08), and higher pre-transplant creatinine (1.43 +/- 0.67 vs 1.25 +/- 0.48 mg/dl, p = 0.095). Seventy-five percent of the Thymo7 group reached target (absolute lymphocyte count <or=200) and 42% at 21 days (p = 0.002). Thymo7 patients had significantly lower rejection rates (>or=1B) within the first year (7% vs 22%, p = 0.02). No humoral rejection occurred. At 1 year, freedom from rejection was 93% in the Thymo7 group vs 80% in the Thymo5 group (p = 0.007), and cytomegalovirus disease (9% and 5%, p = 0.5) and bacterial infection (26% vs 32%, p = 0.5) were similar. One-year actuarial survival was 92% +/- 3% in the Thymo7 and 100% in the Thymo5 group (p = 0.07), and at 3 years, 85 +/- 4% and 90 +/- 6%, respectively (p = 0.4). CONCLUSIONS: Both Thymoglobulin regimens were well tolerated. The 7-day treatment led to more efficient and prolonged lymphocyte depletion and significantly less rejection at 1 year, without an increase in cytomegalovirus infection rate.
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Authors | Sorel Goland, Lawrence S C Czer, Bernice Coleman, Michele A De Robertis, James Mirocha, Kaveh Zivari, Ernst R Schwarz, Robert M Kass, Alfredo Trento |
Journal | The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
(J Heart Lung Transplant)
Vol. 27
Issue 10
Pg. 1115-21
(Oct 2008)
ISSN: 1557-3117 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 18926403
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Antilymphocyte Serum
- Immunosuppressive Agents
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Antilymphocyte Serum
(therapeutic use)
- Cardiomyopathies
(surgery)
- Cytomegalovirus Infections
(epidemiology)
- Female
- Graft Rejection
(epidemiology, prevention & control)
- Heart Transplantation
(immunology, physiology)
- Humans
- Immunosuppressive Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Leukocyte Count
- Lymphocyte Depletion
(statistics & numerical data)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Retrospective Studies
- Tissue Donors
(statistics & numerical data)
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