[Ruth Cuadra]

Lisa,

I think the use of prednisone is a fairly standard part of most transplant protocols as an agent to prevent or reduce the severity of graft vs. host disease, but there is also a lot of variability in how much is used and for how long. Part of the variation is no doubt due to the fact that individual patients react so differently to it. Since Ken and, presumably, his doctors already know he can't tolerate prednisone, his transplant protocol would have to be adjusted.

Serum sickness is caused by an allergic reaction to ATG so prednisone, which is a corticosteroid, is given to try to prevent or reduce the severity of such a reaction.

Regards,
Ruth