Use of Thymoglobulin® (antithymocyte immunoglobulin) in renal transplantation: practical guide

The combination of immunosuppressive drugs is part of the treatment regimen of patients undergoing kidney transplantation (RT). Thymoglobulin®, a rabbit immunoglobulin directed against human thymocytes, is the most commonly agent used for induction therapy in RT in the US. In Brazil, Thymoglobulin® is approved by ANVISA for the use in patients who underwent kidney transplantation and despite being widely used, there are controversies regarding the drug administration. We prepared a systematic review of the literature, evaluating studies that used Thymoglobulin® for induction and for acute rejection treatment in patients undergoing RT. The review used the computadorized databases of EMBASE, LILACS and MedLine. Data were extracted from the studies concerning general features, methodological characteristics and variables analyzed in each study. From the results, a practical guide was prepared analyzing various aspects on the use of Thymoglobulin® in patients submitted to RT.