Intravenous immunoglobulins in neonates and infants: an overview.

These reports indicate that we have just begun to tap the potential uses of IGIV in the prevention and therapy of pediatric disease. The ability to give large amounts of immunoglobulin intravenously repeatedly and in a safe fashion allows us to achieve and maintain very high levels of antibody. These high antibody levels can prevent infection in high risk individuals (e.g. the premature, the immunocompromised, the exposed susceptible), can treat a number of bacterial and viral infections heretofore considered refractory to antibody therapy and can achieve immunomodulating effects not necessarily related to specific antibody titers; these effects can be used therapeutically in disorders associated with aberrant immune responses (Kawasaki disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, etc). We are particularly grateful to all of the participants who traveled so far to participate in this conference; to Sandoz Laboratories, who sponsored and arranged the symposium; and to the weather person, who brought us a spectacular view of the Jungfrau.