IVIG use in autoimmune neurological disorders

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Hum Immunol. 2005 Apr;66(4):417-21.

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in autoimmune neurological

disorders-effects on quality of life.

Padua L, Sabatelli M, Evoli A, Pazzaglia C, Tonali P.

Institute of Neurology, Universita Cattolica, Rome, Italy; Fondazione

don C. Gnocchi, Rome, Italy.

Autoimmune neurological disorders are very common. Health-related

quality-of-life measures, obtained through a patient-oriented tool (a

self-administered questionnaire), are now considered essential in the

evaluation of therapies, especially for pathologies that may affect

patients' general status. We reviewed the most common autoimmune

neurological disorders and their treatment, and we report on our

experience on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration and

the relationship between IVIG and health-related quality of life.

Generally, IVIG administration is effective in the most common

autoimmune neurological diseases. Concerning the relationship between

IVIG treatment and health-related quality of life, our results reveal

an improvement of physical aspects of patients' health-related

quality of life after IVIG administration. Conversely, the comparison

of mental scores between the evaluation at baseline and the

evaluation at follow-up exhibited no difference. Although the use of

IVIG is effective for autoimmune neurological disorders, there are no

commonly accepted protocols for the use of IVIG treatment. Further

controlled studies on IVIG, including quality-of-life assessments,

are necessary to develop needed evidence on the use of IVIG in

clinical practice.