Background: The mainstay of therapy of autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases has been prolonged high-dose systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. Recently, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been employed in selected cases, with excellent results in most of them.
Objective: We sought to evaluate the outcome of the use of IVIg in patients with autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases refractory to conventional therapy or with contraindications for it.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical response to monthly cycles of IVIg in 19 patients affected with autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases: 10 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), 2 with pemphigus foliaceus (PF), 4 with mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), 2 with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, and one with linear IgA bullous dermatosis.
Results: Four (21%) of 19 cases presented a complete response (2 PV, 1 MMP and 1 epidermolysis bullosa acquisita). Five (26%) patients did not respond to the treatment (3 PV, 1 PF, 1 MMP). Ten patients (53%) had a partial response.
Limitations: This was a retrospective noncontrolled study with a heterogeneous group of patients.
Conclusion: The effectiveness of IVIg was inferior to that previously reported. This difference could be attributed to the preparations employed, the different severity of the disease, or individual responses in each patient dependent on Fc receptor gamma polymorphisms.