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Adverse Reactions Associated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin Administration in the Treatment of Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review

Department of Immunology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia. Department of Neurology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia. Department of Neurology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.

International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2023;:1-16
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Abstract
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), which is used to treat multiple neurological conditions, may be associated with serious adverse reactions. The individual neurological disease characteristics associated with adverse reactions, along with strategies to prevent and treat adverse reactions, are uncertain. A systematic review was conducted of the databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library to summarise studies that report adverse reactions of IVIg therapy in patients with neurological disease. There were 65 studies included in the review. The reported rates of adverse reactions vary widely, but the best evidence suggests rates between 25 and 34% per patient. Common adverse reactions include headache and laboratory abnormalities. Less common but serious adverse reactions included thromboembolic complications and anaphylaxis. Overall, there is a lack of high-quality comparative data to definitively determine if any specific neurological indications are associated with a higher risk of adverse reactions. However, individual neurological disease characteristics possibly associated with an increased likelihood of adverse reactions include limited mobility (as in certain neuromuscular conditions), paraproteinaemia (as in certain peripheral neuropathies), and cardiomyopathy (as in certain myopathies). There is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies, which may include modification to dose, reduced infusion rate, and premedication. Further studies regarding methods to prevent and treat IVIg-ARs in neurology patients are required.
Study details
Study Design : Systematic Review
Language : eng
Credits : Bibliographic data from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine