What IVIg Is

Intravenous Immunoglobulin is a medicinal form of antibodies used to treat patients with conditions directly affected by faulty immune systems.  IVIg is derived from human plasma and pooled together from thousands of donors, categorizing it as a blood product.  More specifically, immunoglobulin (Ig) consists of different combinations of five subclasses.  These subclasses, or often referred to as isotypes, are IgA, IgE, IgG, IgD, and IgM.  There are a number of different IVIg products available, which contain different amounts and combinations of the isotypes.  Depending on the patient’s situation and the medical condition he/she is treated for determines which IVIg product is used for that individual.

FDA-Approved Uses

IVIg is FDA-approved for the treatment of the following 8 conditions:

- Allergenic Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)

- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

- Kawasaki Disease (KD)

- Kidney Transplant

- Pediatric HIV

- Primary Immunodeficiency

Off-label Uses

Nearly 70% of IVIg usage is considered off-label.  It is often used when first line treatments fail or are contraindicated.

Some disorders for which IVIg is used off-label include:

- Clostridium difficile colitis

- Fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FAIT)

- Graves’ disease

- Guillain-Barré syndrome

- Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)

- Muscular dystrophy

- Inclusion body myositis

- Lupus

- Moersch-Woltmann Syndrome (Stiff person syndrome)

- Multifocal motor neuropathy

- Multiple sclerosis

- Myasthenia gravis

- Myositis: (Dermatomyositis and Polymositis)

- Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

- Pemphigus

- Rheumatoid arthritis

- Severe sepsis

- Toxic epidermal necrolysis

- Toxic shock syndrome

Treatment

Physical expectancies can vary depending on the patient.  In most cases, IVIg provides only temporary relief.  IVIg does not provide total relief of symptoms, nor does it act as a cure for the condition itself. It’s important to remember that each individual’s immune system is different; dictating a broad range of outcomes.

The functionality of IVIg is not truly understood to this day.  What is known about it is simple.  It causes a direct reaction to the immune system.  IVIg is considered to be an immunomodulator, which means that it can balance the immune system, strengthen the immune system, and/or reduce activity in an overactive immune system.

Side Effects include:

- Headache

- Chest Pain

- Shortness of Breath

- Rash

- Allergic/Anaphylaxis

- Renal Failure

- Venous Thrombosis – blood clots in veins (causing risk of an embolism)

- Aseptic Meningitis – inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord

- Pulmonary Edema - build up of fluid in the lungs (leads to shortness of breath)

*Comprehensive Health Education Services, LLC does not prescribe medications, nor does it provide medical advice for any individuals seeking treatment options. Please consult your physician to determine the best options for your care.