Intravenous immunoglobulin treatments made possible by the generosity of blood donors

November 15, 11:19 AMOrgan and Tissue Donor ExaminerCathy Doheny

Previous

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Organ and Tissue Donor Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Each day, patients all over the world receive the benefits of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatments, which are made possible by the generosity of a multitude of blood donors. IVIG is a blood product comprised of the antibody portion (IgG immunoglobulin) of plasma from blood donors. It takes at least a thousand blood donors to make one single treatment of IVIG. These antibodies are pooled to create the most effective blood product possible.

IVIG is used to treat immune deficiencies, inflammatory diseases, auto-immune diseases, and acute infections. The FDA has approved IVIG for use in the treatment of the following diseases and conditions:

• primary immunodeficiencies
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
• Kawasaki Disease
• pediatric HIV
• allogenic bone marrow transplant
• certain kidney transplants

IVIG also has many "off-label" uses, including treatment for Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

For those with immunodeficiencies, IVIG treatments replace the antibodies their bodies do not naturally make. Patients diagnosed with auto-immune diseases may benefit from high-dose IVIG treatments, as the antibodies work to neutralize the inflammatory activity and decrease the severity of the condition.

As the demand for this blood product has increased exponentially in the last decade, there have been periods of supply shortage. As many patients require IVIG every few weeks or even more often, they are dependent upon the generosity of blood donors. Blood donation is a safe and easy process for those that qualify to give, and the donation can save or drastically improve many lives.