A prospective randomized controlled trial of initial immunosuppression with ALG versus OKT3 in recipients of cardiac allografts.

Thirty-nine heart transplant recipients were randomized prospectively to receive OKT3 or antilymphoblast globulin (ALG) for 7 days, having otherwise identical protocols (group 1: OKT3, n = 20 patients; group 2: ALG, n = 19 patients). No preoperative immunosuppression was given. The protocol consisted of methylprednisolone, 500 mg intraoperatively, followed by 1 mg/kg/day, intravenously or orally, tapering to 0.2 mg/kg/day at 1 month; oral …