Routine blood monitoring in maintenance immunoglobulin treatment of inflammatory neuropathy: Is it clinically relevant?

Incidence and risk factors for intravenous immunoglobulin-related hemolysis: A systematic review of clinical trial and real-world populations

Background

Severe hemolysis rarely occurs in patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. A systematic review was performed to assess the incidence of IVIG‐related hemolysis and the impact of patient and product risk factors.

Study Design and Methods

A systematic literature search for terms related to “IVIG products”, “hemolysis,” and “adverse events” was conducted in Embase for articles published between January 1, 2015, and May 31, 2021. Studies with no clinical datasets, no IVIG treatment, or where IVIG was used to treat hemolytic conditions were excluded. Of the 430 articles retrieved, 383 were excluded based on titles/abstracts and 14 were excluded after in‐depth review.

Results

In total, 33 articles were analyzed and separated into observational studies (n = 16), clinical trials (n = 8), and case reports (n = 9). The incidence proportion for IVIG‐related hemolysis ranged from 0% to 19% in observational studies and 0%–21% in clinical trials. A higher incidence of IVIG‐related hemolysis was consistently reported in patients with blood groups A and AB. Hemolysis occurred more frequently in patients treated with IVIG for some conditions such as Kawasaki disease; however, this may be confounded by the high dose of IVIG therapy. IVIG‐related hemolysis incidence was lower in studies using IVIG products citing manufacturing processes to reduce isoagglutinin levels than products that did not.

Conclusion

This analysis identified patient and product risk factors including blood group, IVIG dose, and IVIG manufacturing processes associated with elevated IVIG‐related hemolysis incidence.

What Is in the Literature

What is in the Literature focuses on peripheral neuropathies with new and practical information related to the diagnosis, treatment, and management. Diagnostic and treatment guidelines are available for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) but not all clinicians follow them resulting in erroneous diagnoses and prolonged treatment. Secondary axonal loss in CIDP causes increased connective tissue in muscle. Antibodies to proteins at the node of Ranvier are found in a small percentage of patients with CIDP. The differential diagnosis for CIDP-like neuropathies includes amyloid neuropathy and POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, skin changes) and amyloidosis. Upper limits for cerebral spinal fluid protein are 0.45 g/L and cell count <10/µL, but both may be too low. Hyperactive reflexes may occur in Guillain-Barré syndrome and should not exclude the diagnosis. In severely affected Guillain-Barré syndrome patients, a second dose of intravenous immune globulin within 4 weeks of onset is not likely to be effective.