Clinical use of immunoglobulins

Abstract

The use of immunoglobulins for prophylaxis and therapy are reviewed. Normal and hyperimmune immunoglobulins have well established clinical applications. These are summarized in Table 14. This form of therapy has now entered a period of rapid change due to the availability of human immunoglobulins which are safe for intravenous use, permitting large doses to be given rapidly. This will permit reappraisal of many conventional applications and exploration of new possibilities for the use of these products. The approaching wide availability of monoclonal antibodies for clinical use will open up a further wide range of new therapeutic applications, providing that concerns over the products' safety are allayed .