Intravenous immune globulin in the treatment of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and end-stage renal disease.

Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) has been advocated as efficacious therapy for a variety of disorders including idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and Kawasaki disease. Several reports have also documented the effectiveness of IVIg in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Two patients with symptomatic SLE and ESRD were treated with IVIg. Both patients tolerated IVIg administration well and demonstrated clinical and serologic improvement. Both individuals also experienced a transient decline in serum albumin concentration with IVIg treatment. The mechanisms by which IVIg might have effected improvement in these patients are varied and are likely related to the immunomodulatory actions of IVIg. The reversible change in albumin concentration seen in these individuals may be secondary to abrupt alterations in oncotic homeostasis. Despite this unusual effect, the documented improvement in these patients suggests that IVIg therapy may be of benefit in patients with active SLE and ESRD. Further studies are warranted to examine the mechanisms by which IVIg may exert its therapeutic effect.