Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy may ease the risk of a second attack of symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (MS), say doctors who tested the treatment in a clinical analysis.1
Anat Achiron, MD, PhD, of Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer, Israel and fellow researchers evaluated the effect of IVIg treatment in patients after the first neurological event suggestive of MS, and then measured how soon a second attack occurred.
"Intravenous immunoglobulin has been reported to reduce disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis," reported Achiron and his team.
Does Immune Globulin Prevent a Second Attack?
Ninety-one patients who experienced neurological symptoms indicative of MS for the first time were recruited for the study just 6 weeks after those symptoms had appeared. Each patient was assigned at random to receive IVIg therapy, or placebo, given once every 6 weeks for a total of 1 year. The study was carried out using a double-blind protocol, meaning neither clinical staff nor patients knew who was receiving IVIg and who was receiving a placebo.
Neurological and clinical assessments were then performed every 90 days, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was also performed as part of the evaluation at the start and end of the clinical trial.
Definite Differences Found
At the end of the trial, the investigators wrote that "the cumulative probability of developing clinically definite multiple sclerosis was significantly lower in the IVIg treatment group compared with the placebo group."
Patients taking treatment also had a significant reduction in the volume and number of brain lesions associated with MS compared to those taking placebo, the investigators reported.
"Treatment was well tolerated, compliance was high, and incidence of adverse effects did not differ significantly between groups," the researchers wrote.
"Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for the first year from onset of the first neurological event suggestive of demyelinative disease significantly lowers the incidence of a second attack, and reduces disease activity as measured by brain magnetic resonance imaging," Achiron and his fellow researchers concluded.
It's estimated that about 400,000 Americans have multiple sclerosis, and every week, about 200 additional people are diagnosed. Around the world, more than 2 million people have been diagnosed with the disease.2
1. Achiron A, Kishner I, Sarova-Pinhas I et al. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment following the first demyelinating event suggestive of multiple sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Neurol 2004 Oct;61(10):1515-20.
2. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Who Gets MS?
John Martin is a long-time health journalist and an editor for Priority Healthcare. His credits include coverage of health news for the website of Fox Television's The Health Network, and articles for the New York Post and other consumer and trade publications.
