Open AccessEffect of anti‐CD4 monoclonal antibody administration on rat small bowel allograft survival and circulating leukocyte populations
Author(s) -
Bowles Matthew J.,
Pockley Alan G.,
Wood Richard F. M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
transplant international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.998
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1432-2277
pISSN - 0934-0874
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-2277.2000.tb01069.x
Subject(s) - medicine , monoclonal antibody , gastroenterology , monoclonal , antibody , urology , peripheral blood , immunology , surgery
This study assessed the effect of an anti‐rat CD4 monoclonal antibody (OX38) on heterotopic small bowel allograft rejection. Fully allogeneic small bowel transplants were performed in the PVG‐to‐DA‐rat strain combination. Animals received either i) short course (days ‐1, 0 and 1) of 1 mg/kg per day OX38, ii) short course of 5 mg/kg per day or iii) extended course (days ‐2, ‐1, 0, 1, 2 and twice weekly thereafter) of 1 mg/kg per day. Both the high dose (13 days) and extended low‐dose (12 days) courses prolonged graft survival compared to untreated control animals (7 days). The low‐dose, short‐course treatment had no effect. Similar regimens were given to animals that did not receive transplants and in which peripheral blood CD4 + cell counts fell to between 20 and 55% of pretreatment levels and 20–30% of binding sites were blocked. In summary, anti‐CD4 monoclonal antibody therapy delayed rejection of rat small bowel allografts; however, long‐term survival was not achieved.