INTRAVENOUS GAMMA-GLOBULIN TREATMENT IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS - DELINEATION OF USAGE AND MODE OFACTION

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system demyelinating dise ase of implicated autoimmune aetiology. The effect was evaluated of in travenous gammaglobulin (IVIg), a successful therapy in various autoim mune diseases, in relapsing-remitting MS patients treated for three ye ars. IVIg treatment significantly reduced the number and severity of a cute exacerbations and resulted in a lesser neurological disability. T here were no significant short or long-term adverse effects to IVIg tr eatment. To clarify the putative therapeutic effects of IVIg, this tre atment was examined in the animal model of experimental autoimmune enc ephalomyelitis (EAE) in the rat. IVIg suppressed active EAE in relatio n to disease severity and duration, despite the presence of T-cell rea ctivity to specific antigens, while the treatment had no effect on pas sive EAE induced by adoptive transfer of myelin basic protein specific CD4 + T-cells. It is concluded that IVIg treatment may be a promising treatment in relapsing-remitting MS as it can alter the natural cours e of the disease.