Treatment by intravenous immunoglobulins in autoimmune diseases of children. Practical experience with intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in children during the last three years in Prague Paediatric Clinics
Abstract
The treatment of autoimmune disorders with intravenous immune globulins (IVIG) belongs to the spectrum of therapeutical methods used in these diseases. After initial experience with this treatment IVIG became the part of therapeutical protocols also for children with autoimmune conditions.
This article summarizes the practical experience with the treatment of 70 children hospitalized and further followed on Prague Pediatric Clinics during the last three years. The study includes the retrospective view of children with systemic or organ specific autoimmune diseases, with inflammatory or demyelinating diseases of nervous system and autoimmune diseases connected with immunodeficiencies.
The study showed classical and beneficial effect of IVIG treatment of Kawasaki syndrome. Despite some benefit proven in most of other children besides Kawasaki syndrome and corticoresistant idiopatic trombocytopenic purpura the effect of IVIG was not of long duration and sometimes, especially in polyarticular juvenile chronic arthritis in older children, we did not find any improvement.
The treatment with IVIG have to be judged individually with the respects to its medical and economical benefits.