Treatment of systemic vasculitis with pooled intravenous immunoglobulin.
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.
Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK.
D R
DR
Jayne
M J
MJ
Davies
C J
CJ
Fox
C M
CM
Black
C M
CM
Lockwood
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000628:therapy*
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous