Intraveous gammaglobulin for the treatment of juvenil idiopathic arthritis

Abstract

Recently there has been a growing interest in autoimmune and auto-inflammatory diseases, both entities involving a therapeutic challenge even though more sophisticated therapeutic options have been developed. According to this, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an example of this challenge, with proven autoimmune mechanisms as in positive rheumatoid factor arthritis; and autoinflammatory mechanisms in systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. For both damage mechanisms, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been used as a successful immunomodulator. The treatment with IVIG for JIA and associated features as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) has shown to be beneficial. Nevertheless more studies are required to support its usefulness, as well as clinical trials to document the IVIG effectiveness in comparison with the rest of therapeutic agents used. Despite its cost, the IVIG is well tolerated and should be considered useful in combination with other drugs as part of the JIA treatment, especially in those patients with associated threatening-life systemic complications or with high risk of infection. The present review pretends to expose, according to previous references from various authors, that IVIG is an alternative therapeutic option in these cases.

Keywords

• Enfermedades autoinmunitarias
• gammaglobulina
• autoinflrmatorios
• inmunomodulador
• artritis idiopáticas