Effectiveness of treatment of children with hypogammaglobulinemia: comparison of fresh plasma and intravenous immunoglobulin preparation.

Eight children aged 2 to 16 years who were diagnosed as having primary humoral immunodeficiency were treated with fresh plasma substitution, during the first 2 years. Subsequently these children and 5 other children with primary humoral immunodeficiency (ID) were treated during the next 10 months with intravenous preparation of IgG. Eight children received doses of 500 mg/kg body weight (group A), while five children received doses of 150 mg/kg (group B) at monthly intervals. After five months of this therapy the average increase of IgG concentration was in group A--395 mg/dl, while in group B--100 mg/dl, the difference being statistically significant. Substitution therapy with intravenous IgG was more effective than therapy with fresh plasma and caused appreciable clinical improvement. Only in one out of 130 cases of intravenous injections mild post-transfusion reaction was observed.