Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) in the Prevention of Implantation Failures

Is intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) efficacious in early pregnancy failure? A critical review and meta-analysis for patients who fail in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF)

“…The most recent trial by Stephenson and Fluker, which was reported as negative, has created significant controversy (4-7). Stephenson and Fluker noted previous positive reports by Kleinstein et al in an abstract, and de Placido et al in a formal paper (8,9). We were also aware of an RCT done by Sher et al and two unpublished cohort-controlled trials the details of which had not been published (10)(11)(12).…”

“…Table I summarizes the results from three RCTs of IVIG in IVF failure/early pregnancy loss patients. The trial by de Placido et al achieved a one-tailed p < 0.05 in the original publication as did the trial by Sher et al rejecting the null hypothesis that IVIG did not increase the rate of pregnancy success (9,10). The Stephenson and Fluker trial did not, although one can see that the live birth rate was slightly higher in the IVIG-treated patients.…”

Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Immune Infertility

“…De Placid0 et a1. 26 reported an increase in implantation rate when IVIg was given (17.7 vs 6.5% in the placebo group, P = 0.05), but the pregnancy rate was not significantly different. In the report of Kleinstein et rate of 50 vs 8% in the placebo group (P < 0.05).…”

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG): modes of action in the clinical management of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and selected autoimmune disorders

“…Outstanding differences in anti-hepatitis A and anticytomegalovirus antibody titers were shown when two lots of IVIG preparations from the USA (850 donor pool) and Europe (a 777 donor pool from Germany and Switzerland) were compared (32). There were also differences in anti-measles antibody titers in IVIG from non-remunerated plasma of European and American origin.…”