ABSTRACT
Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) were initially used as a replacement therapy in patients with hypogammaglobulinaemia. Fortuitously, in 1981 Imbach and colleagues1 discovered that these preparations exhibited beneficial therapeutic effects in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Since this observation, IVIg has been tested at least experimentally in numerous disorders of presumed autoimmune genesis. Although the complete spectrum of mechanisms of action of IVIg is not yet completely understood, experimental and clinical studies have elucidated a number of mechanisms by which IVIg may modify disease. The following chapter aims to provide insight into the present status of knowledge on mechanisms of action of IVIg, based on immunological concepts relevant in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disorders.
