Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against human interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2-R) have been shown to prevent early kidney rejection in animals and humans. We report here the effect of an anti-IL-2-R MoAb (33B3.1) inhibiting IL-2 binding high-affinity sites on activated lymphocytes in 10 declared acute rejection episodes of first cadaveric kidney grafts. Six patients were under cyclosporine treatment only at the time of diagnosis of the rejection. All rejection episodes but one were biopsy-proved cellular rejections. Treatment consisted of intravenous infusions of 33B3.1 at 20 mg/day x 2 days, followed by 10 mg/day for 8 additional days. In case of MoAb ineffectiveness at day 5, anti-IL-2-R MoAb was discontinued and a rescue treatment of corticosteroid boluses (CSb) was given. If not, in all cases corticosteroids (CS) were given (1 mg/kg) at the end of MoAb treatment (day 10) and tapered off thereafter. Two rejection episodes immediately responded to 33B3.1 treatment. During 33B3.1 treatment four other patients had only a stabilization of their blood creatinine concentration, which nevertheless returned to prerejection levels after day 10 when anti-IL-2-R was discontinued and CS administered at 1 mg/kg (no rescue treatment). The four remaining patients had an increase of their blood creatinin levels at day 5 despite 33B3.1 treatment, and their renal function only improved with CSb rescue treatment. One of these patients lost the graft despite rescue treatment, as well as a 9-day course of antithymocyte globulin. Trough levels of MoAb reached a plateau as early as day 2 (approximately 6 micrograms/ml). All patients developed antibodies (IgM and IgG) after day 14. In no instance could unresponsiveness be related to low circulating 33B3.1 trough levels or to early host anti-MoAb immune response (IgM or IgG). We conclude that 33B3.1, known to be effective in preventing early rejection, has only inconsistent and/or incomplete effects on the ongoing rejection process. Our data suggest that once IL-2-dependent clones are expanded in the rejected graft, interference with IL-2/IL-2-R signals does not block the effector mechanisms sustaining acute rejection.