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Treatment of Autoimmune Disease with Rabbit Anti‐T Lymphocyte Globulin
Author(s) -
LYTTON SIMON D.,
DENTON CHRISTOPHER P.,
NUTZENBERGER ACHIM M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1423.030
Subject(s) - medicine , immunology , immune system , autoimmunity , systemic scleroderma , lymphocyte , disease
: The rabbit anti‐T lymphocyte globulins (rATGs) are immune‐suppressive anti‐T cell agents with beneficial effects in solid organ and hematological transplantation. The present review evaluates the potential mechanisms of rATGs and their impact on pilot and exploratory studies of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (scleroderma‐SSc), inclusion body myositis (IBM), vasculitis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The rATGs are associated with improvements in well‐defined parameters of clinical autoimmunity: insulin usage, tissue inflammation, and systemic organ functions. Meta‐analysis of a retrospective database of SSc, N = 196 and two prospective randomized pilot studies; IBM, N = 11 and T1DM, N = 17 shows a two‐ to ninefold increase in the relative response to treatments with intravenous infusions of rATG. The rATGs deplete T cells and are associated with increases in the percentage of CD25 + T cell subsets. This may underlie the apparent long‐lasting immunomodulation associated with these agents. The future optimization of rATG adjunct therapy requires statistically powered‐controlled prospective trials of rATG dose‐finding and timing of administration. The potential mechanisms of rATGs:depletion of autoreactive T cells, generation CDCD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs), and the acquisition of regulatory immune cell functions, need to be examined in patients prior to rATG infusion and at time intervals following rATG treatment to identify those mechanisms relevant to the improvement of their clinical outcome.