Antithymocyte globulin

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is an immunosuppressive mixture of polyclonal antibodies which is mostly used to treat rejection reactions after organ transplantation .

ATG is obtained from the blood of horses (h-ATG) or rabbits (r-ATG) after they have been immunized against human thymocytes or T lymphocytes . Since the surface antigens of the T lymphocytes are also on other immune cells, ATG is also effective against B lymphocytes , dendritic cells , NK cells and macrophages . The antibodies contained bind to specific antigens and lead to the destruction of the cells via various mechanisms; to the antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity includes ( eng . antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity , ADCC ) or complement dependent cytotoxicity ( engl . complement dependent cytotoxicity , CDC ). Although other mechanisms of action such as the induction of regulatory T cells or NK cells are known, the depletion of T lymphocytes is considered to be the main cause of immunosuppression.

ATG is used to prevent the acute and chronic graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) in allogeneic transplants of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells . It is also used to prevent and treat acute rejection reactions after a heart, kidney, liver or pancreas transplant, as well as to treat severe aplastic anemia .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ M. Mohty: Mechanisms of action of antithymocyte globulin: T-cell depletion and beyond . In: Leukemia . tape 21 , no. 7 , July 1, 2007, ISSN  0887-6924 , p. 1387-1394 , PMID 17410187 .
2. ↑ A. Osama Gaber, Anthony P. Monaco, James A. Russell, Yvon Lebranchu, Mohamad Mohty: Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (thymoglobulin): 25 years and new frontiers in solid organ transplantation and haematology . In: Drugs . tape 70 , no. 6 , April 16, 2010, ISSN  0012-6667 , p. 691-732 , PMID 20394456 .

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