Treatment of systemic vasculitis with pooled intravenous immunoglobulin

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 337; no. 8750; pp. 1137 - 1139
• Main Authors: Jayne, D.R.W., Lockwood, C.M., Davies, M.J., Fox, C.J.V., Black, C.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 11.05.1991; Lancet; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; Autoantibodies - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Circulatory system; Drug Evaluation; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health care; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunoglobulin G - therapeutic use; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Male; Medical disorders; Medical research; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Remission Induction - methods; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Side effects; Vasculitis - therapy; Therapeutic efficiency; Human; Immunoglobulins; Treatment; Vasculitis; Intravenous administration; Immunotherapy; Systemic disease
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)92797-6

The therapeutic effect of a course of high-dose, pooled, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) on disease activity and circulating antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA) was investigated in 7 patients with systemic vasculitis. 5 had active disease despite conventional immunosuppression, and 2 had not received any treatment. All 7 had clinical improvement, which was sustained in 6 and transient in 1. The fall in ANCA concentrations to a mean of 51% of the pre-treatment values was maintained during follow-up. C-reactive protein concentration also dropped considerably. IVIg seemed to confer a useful therapeutic effect without adverse reaction.