Immunoglobulins: Therapeutics

Key points

• IVIG uses: primary/secondary immunodeficiency · ITP (NOT TTP) · myasthenia gravis · Guillain-Barré syndrome · CIDP · Kawasaki disease · TEN · dermatomyositis · CMV pneumonitis post-transplant.
• Formed from large donor pools (e.g. 5000 donors); IgG subclass distribution similar to normal blood.
• Half-life ~3 weeks.