Adverse reactions in selected patients following intravenous infusions of gamma globulin.

Fifteen patients with hypogammaglobulinemia or agammaglobulinemia were treated with intravenous gamma globulin preparation over a 17-month period. The patients were selected for treatment if they had chronic antibody deficiency syndromes associated with increased susceptibility to infections. Levels of circulating immune complexes, C1q, C3, and C3d were determined in serum samples obtained before treatment and immediately following treatment with the gamma globulin. In every patient studied, circulating immune complexes were detectable in the postinfusion samples. Two patients had adverse reactions to the intravenous gamma globulin therapy. Analysis of the serum samples of both of these patients showed that one patient had an autoantibody to IgA and the other had an autoantibody to beta-lipoprotein. Both IgA and beta-lipoprotein were present in the intravenous gamma globulin preparations. Therefore, reaction with each of the autoantibodies by the antigens activated the complement system in vivo with production of split products of C3.