Researchers Discover Intravenous Immune Globulin Improves Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Researcher Ingemar S. J. Merkies, MD, (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and colleagues discovered that patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) benefit from treatment with immune globulin intravenous 10% caprylate/chromatography purified (IGIV-C). The study consisted of 117 patients, aged 18 years or older, with CIDP and progressive or relapsing motor and sensory dysfunction of at least 1 limb and clinical disability ranging from 2 to 9 on the Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) disability scale. Results of the study, presented on September 22 at the American Neurological Association 133rd Annual Meeting , show that patients treated with IGIV-C had a greater improvement on the physical component score of the Short Form-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36) compared with those treated with placebo (P = .020).