Abstract
Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are one of the corner stones of innate immunity. Their main role is to maintain homeostasis: defence against infection and prevention of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Identification of the physiological role of antibodies stimulated the efforts to use them in therapy, which resulted in their use as intravenous immunoglobulins i.e. IVIG.
There are two mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of IVIG: substitution and immunomodulation. The substitution effect takes place in primary immunodeficiencies which show impairment of antibody forming capacity.
Their immunomodulatory properties are effective in autoimmune and tumour diseases. We present an overview of current knowledge of mechanisms of action of IVIG, their recognized indications in clinical practice, as well as their role and the ongoing debate about their benefits in the treatment of sepsis.