PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF EFFICACY OF GANCICLOVIR VERSUS THAT OF ANTICYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) IMMUNOGLOBULIN TO PREVENT CMV DISEASE IN CMV-SEROPOSITIVE HEART-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS TREATED WITH OKT3

We compared the efficacy of ganciclovir versus that of cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin for the prevention of CMV disease in 31 CMV-seropositive heart transplant recipients, who had received early immunoprophylaxis with OKT3 monoclonal antibodies. The incidence of CMV disease and visceral involvement uas much higher in the CMV immunoglobulin group than in the ganciclovir group (40 versus 6%, respectively; P = 0.03). No adverse effects were found in the CMV immunoglobulin group, but 19% of the patients in the ganciclovir group developed mild leukopenia or a mild increase in their serum creatinine levels.