Systemic Reaction to the Anti–T-Cell Monoclonal Antibody OKT3 in Relation to Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor and Interferon-α

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Abstract
To the Editor: One major side effect associated with the in vivo use of the murine monoclonal antibody OKT3 is the spontaneously reversible systemic clinical reaction that is invariably associated with the first one or two injections of the antibody.1 The systemic reaction includes chills, headache, pyrexia, vomiting, diarrhea, and tachycardia. Pulmonary edema has been described in a few patients with fluid overload.1 Since this group of symptoms closely resembles that induced by the injection of pure recombinant cytokines,2 , 3 we tested the hypothesis that the OKT3 syndrome could be related to a massive release of some of these highly biologically . . .