ABSTRACT
Much of our current understanding of the pharmacokinetics of IgG has emerged from research in the late 1960s which was mainly devoted to the assessment of normal metabolic properties of lgG in humans (I). These early studies were done with IgG isolated from human plasma, which was radiolabeled with iodine isotopes, and given intravenously as tracer doses. Later, pharmacokinetic studies were performed with commercial IVIG preparations in order to characterize their intact or modified lgG molecules. Basically, three approaches can be used to generate pharmacokinetic data of IVIG preparations:
I. In the 1970s, some studies were done with radiolabeled IgG of IVIG preparations. Today, this approach is no longer feasible, mainly for ethical considerations.
