LAUSR

Purpose To determine the optimal cumulative dose of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) regarding its efficacy and safety and to evaluate the target level of CD3+ T cell count for induction therapy in adult heart transplantation. Methods This retrospective cohort study enrolled adult patients undergoing heart transplantation in a medical center between January 2016 and July 2019. The rATG induction was initiated postoperatively at a dose of 0.75-1 mg/kg/day for 3-5 days to maintain CD3+ counts Results A total of 62 patients with 189 doses of rATG were enrolled. The first dose and the cumulative dose of rATG were 0.67 ± 0.18 mg/kg and 1.44 ± 0.40 mg/kg. The cut-off point for the cumulative dose of rATG in achieving CD3+ count Conclusion A cumulative rATG dose of 1.2 mg/kg may be effective in achieving CD3+ counts