The Advantage of Specific Intravenous Immunoglobulin (sIVIG) on Regular IVIG: Experience of the Last Decade

During the last decade it has been shown that some components of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) are responsible for their broadly therapeutic application. Currently, such specific subfractions are defined as specific IVIG (sIVIG) and are affinity-purified from commercial IVIGs that target specific antigens/antibodies related to a specific autoimmune disease. A remarkable example of the therapeutic potential of sIVIG is the proven enhanced anti-inflammatory potency of sialylated and recombinant sialylated IVIG obtained from total IVIG. In other experimental models, it has also been demonstrated that sIVIG work in many other contrivances, such as revealing anti-idiotypic networks blocking pathogenic antibodies ameliorating disease activity. sIVIG has also been shown to exert its action by modulating specific receptors expressed on immune cells in both inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Indeed, sIVIG has emerged as a novel approach to treat different immune-mediated conditions in a more accurate antigen-specific manner. Herein we review experimental evidence supporting sIVIG-efficacy in treating autoimmune diseases and inflammation.