PubMed · 1991 · 19 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesImmunologyImmunopathologyImmunotherapyInflammationAutoimmune DiseasesCytokine TherapyCytokine-based TherapyCytokine-mediated PathologyImmune-related Adverse Event ManagementImmune-related Adverse EventsClinical Outcome MeasurementCytokine Modulation TherapyInterferon Alfa TherapyTumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Therapy
Monoclonal antibodies are increasingly used for treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in bone marrow transplantation. We treated seven patients with steroid resistant aGVHD with the monoclonal anti-T cell antibody OKT3. Though five patients showed improvement of aGVHD, only two became long-term survivors. OKT3 treatment was accompanied by deterioration of microangiopathy and prolonged increase of tumor-necrosis-factor alpha serum levels indicating activation of monocytes/macrophages in vivo, as this was not observed in a control group of patients receiving anti-T cell globulin. These findings may be related to immunostimulatory activity reported for OKT3 in vitro. Strategies interfering with cytokine release should improve clinical results of OKT3 treatment.