PMID- 12895163
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20040120
LR  - 20191107
IS  - 1444-0903 (Print)
IS  - 1444-0903 (Linking)
VI  - 33
IP  - 8
DP  - 2003 Aug
TI  - Role of intravenous immunoglobulin in severe steroid-dependent asthma.
PG  - 341-4
AB  - BACKGROUND: Subgroups of asthma patients have extremely severe respiratory 
      symptoms that require chronic use of steroids for disease control. These patients 
      are at risk of significant side-effects from chronic exposure to high doses of 
      oral steroids. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has immunomodulatory properties 
      as shown by its use in some immune disorders. A few trials have suggested a 
      possible benefit in individuals with severe asthma. AIMS: To evaluate the role of 
      IVIG as an adjunctive therapy in steroid-dependent asthma, monitoring the 
      outcomes of lung function and measured reduction in oral steroid requirement. 
      METHOD: Seven patients with severe steroid-dependent asthma were given IVIG at a 
      dose of 1 g/kg each month for 6 months. Baseline pulmonary function tests and 
      immunoglobulin levels were obtained. At the end of 6 months, the end-points 
      observed were lung function and the degree of reduction in the dose of oral 
      steroids. The number of hospital admissions during the 12 months following 
      commencement of IVIG was compared with the preceding 12 months. RESULTS: There 
      was a significant reduction in daily prednisolone dose from 56 +/- 31 mg to 39 
      +/- 35 mg (P=0.04, Wilcoxon rank sum test) and a decrease in the number of 
      hospital admissions from 5.9 +/- 2.9 to 3.6 +/- 3.5 (P=0.04). No significant 
      improvement occurred in lung function. CONCLUSION: IVIG provides a potentially 
      important adjunctive therapy in severe steroid-dependent asthma, reducing steroid 
      requirement and decreasing hospital admissions, but not improving lung function.
FAU - Haque, S
AU  - Haque S
AD  - Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, The Alfred, 
      Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
FAU - Boyce, N
AU  - Boyce N
FAU - Thien, F C K
AU  - Thien FC
FAU - O'Hehir, R E
AU  - O'Hehir RE
FAU - Douglass, J
AU  - Douglass J
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Australia
TA  - Intern Med J
JT  - Internal medicine journal
JID - 101092952
RN  - 0 (Adjuvants, Immunologic)
RN  - 0 (Immunoglobulins, Intravenous)
RN  - 0 (Steroids)
RN  - 9PHQ9Y1OLM (Prednisolone)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adjuvants, Immunologic/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use
MH  - Adult
MH  - Asthma/*drug therapy
MH  - Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data
MH  - Humans
MH  - Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Prednisolone/administration & dosage
MH  - Steroids/*adverse effects
MH  - *Substance-Related Disorders
EDAT- 2003/08/05 05:00
MHDA- 2004/01/21 05:00
CRDT- 2003/08/05 05:00
PHST- 2003/08/05 05:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2004/01/21 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/08/05 05:00 [entrez]
AID - 419 [pii]
AID - 10.1046/j.1445-5994.2003.t01-1-00419.x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Intern Med J. 2003 Aug;33(8):341-4. doi: 10.1046/j.1445-5994.2003.t01-1-00419.x.