Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) in the treatment of autoimmune diseases

Abstract

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy is increasingly used in autoimmune diseases. Although its efficacy has only been established in a few specific antibody-mediated autoimmune conditions, accumulating evidence on the regulatory role of circulating immunoglobulins in the selection of peripheral B cell repertoires makes it an attractive potential therapeutic option to clinical immunologists. This overview briefly discusses the current use of IVIg in human autoimmune diseases with a particular emphasis on the possible mechanisms by which IVIg could suppress pathological autoimmune responses.