[The high-dose gamma-globulin therapy for inflammatory demyelinating peripheral neuropathy: evaluations of clinical effects and serum IgG subclasses].

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the clinical effects and the influence of high-dose therapy of gamma-globulin for inflammatory demyelinating peripheral neuropathy, we have investigated changes of serum IgG subclass distribution of the patients with these diseases by this therapy.

METHODS

gamma-Globulin (20g/day) was intravenously administrated for 5 days in 4 cases of CIDP, 2 cases of Fisher syndrome and 1 case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. The IgG subclass was measured by sandwich ELISA method four times, namely before the treatment, immediately after, and 2 and 4 weeks after the treatment.

RESULTS

Marked symptomatical improvement was observed in all cases. Serum levels of all IgG subclasses were highest just after the therapy, and all subclasses recovered to the pretherapeutic levels in 4 weeks. Attitude of changes in all IgG subclasses of all cases was fairly similar each other.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that high-dose therapy of gamma-globulin is an effective therapy for inflammatory demyelinating peripheral neuropathy with little influences on IgG production and metabolism of IgG.