Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with improvement

P. A. van Doorn, M. Vermeulen, A. Brand, P. G. Mulder and H. F. Busch
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Of 52 patients fulfilling the criteria of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, 20 (38%) did not improve after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, two (4%) had a short-lasting improvement and subsequent infusions had no effect, nine (17%) reached a spontaneously or therapeutically induced complete remission, and 21 patients (40%) needed intermittent infusions to maintain improvement. All patients who improved initially had symptoms that significantly interfered with life-style. After treatment, 90% of these patients were independent in their daily activities. Significantly associated with improvement were disease duration of less than 1 year, progression of weakness until treatment, absence of discrepancy in weakness between arms and legs, areflexia of the arms, and slowed nerve conduction velocity of the motor median nerve. The probability of improvement if all these features are present in 93%.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Clinical and electrophysiologic correlates of IVIg responsiveness in CIDP
Iijima et al.
Neurology 2005;64:1471-1475.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Immunoglobulins inhibit pathophysiological effects of anti-GQ1b-positive sera at motor nerve terminals through inhibition of antibody binding
Jacobs et al.
Brain 2003;126:2220-2234.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Current treatments for CIDP
Ropper
Neurology 2003;60:S16-22.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIg) for treatment of CIDP and related immune-mediated neuropathies
Brannagan
Neurology 2002;59:S33-40.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Quality of life complements traditional outcome measures in immune-mediated polyneuropathies
Merkies et al.
Neurology 2002;59:84-91.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Immunoglobulin therapy for idiopathic chronic sensory ataxic neuropathy
Takeuchi et al.
Neurology 2000;54:1008-1010.
FULL TEXT  

Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment in Neurologic Disorders: Yes
Sorensen
Arch Neurol 1999;56:1025-1027.
FULL TEXT  

A unique population of circulating autoantibodies promotes central nervous system remyelination
Asakura and Rodriguez
Mult Scler 1998;4:217-221.
ABSTRACT