High-Dose Intravenous Gammaglobulin for Myasthenia Gravis

Mechanisms of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Action in Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

“…For example, Dalakas et al found that IVIG treatment reduced the plasma concentration of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase by 33% in patients with stiff person syndrome [38], and antiacetylcholine receptor antibodies are decreased after administration of IVIG to patients with myasthenia gravis [39,40]. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment reduced concentrations of antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies by 30% in patients with systemic vasculitis [41], and in a murine model of active immunity, Hammarstrom et al demonstrated that IVIG decreased serum concentrations of pathogenic antibodies by 25% [42].…”

Immunomodulating therapy of rheumatoid arthritis by high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin

“…We did not find reductions in autoantibody titers in our patients. In diseases which are assumed to be mediated through a specific antibody, autoantibody production has been found to be diminished by IVGG-therapy (Fateh-Moghadam et al 1984, Hiller et al 1986, Tsubakio et al 1983). …”

IVIg in myasthenia gravis, Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome and inflammatory myopathies: current status

“…The conclusion of the study was that both treatments had a clinical effect after 4 weeks, but the improvement was more rapid in this group of chronic MG patients after plasma exchange than after IVIg. Other publications of randomised, case series or open studies [3,8,21,44] also indicate the usefulness of IVIg in different clinical situations, although none of these studies reached statistical significance. In 2001, it was reported [35] that there was a comparable efficacy between IVIg and plasmapheresis in the peri-operative period of MG.…”