INTRAVENOUS IMMUNE GLOBULIN - AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN STEROID-DEPENDENT ALLERGIC DISEASES

A fundamental feature of asthma is abnormal airway function, now recog nized to result from both acute and chronic inflammatory changes. Cent ral to the development of these inflammatory changes may be the activa tion of T cells and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the skin, a similar cascade of events may underlie the pathogenesis of ato pic dermatitis. Asthma and atopic dermatitis often share several featu res that may be important in their pathogenesis: T-cell infiltration o f the tissues, elevated IgE levels, and a history of known triggers as sociated with positive immediate skin-test reactions. In both diseases , administration of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) on a regular ba sis appears to reduce the need for systemic corticosteroids, reduce sy mptoms and for asthmatics, reduce hospitalization costs. Although the mechanism of action of IVIG in these disorders remains to be defined, it may be exhibiting significant anti-inflammatory activity. IVIG may be a potent alternative in the treatment of severe, steroid-dependent allergic disorders, reducing steroid dependency.