Safety, efficiency, and treatment satisfaction in children with primary immunodeficiency receiving subcutaneous immunoglobulin treatment

Objective: Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity, also known as Primary Immunodeficiency (PID), are prone to recurrent bacterial infections and these patients often require lifelong IgG replacement therapy. The aim of this presentation is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction in PID patients receiving subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) treatment and to share our expe-riences.

Methods: Twenty-one patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of PID by our Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic and received regular intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG) befo-re starting SCIG treatment were included in the study.

Results: A total of 21 patients were included in the study. 10 of the patients (47.6%) were female, 11 (52.4%) were male, and the mean age was 8.8±4.42 years. Five of the patients were Syrian patients living in the refugee camp. Threshold IgG levels of the patients were evaluated every 3 months. IgG levels were significantly higher than baseline IVIG levels at weeks 3, 6, and 12 of SCIG treatment, respectively. There was no significant difference between 3^rd, 6^th and 12^th months of SCIG treatment. A statistically significant decrease was observed in the frequency of infections in patients who received SCIG treatment (p=0.003). During SCIG treatment, the total infection rate was 4.1/person/year. According to the TSQM-9 satisfaction questionnaire, the annual hospitalization rate was 0.9/patient/year for IVIG and 0.4/patient/year for SCIG (p>0.005), and 61.9% of patients were moderately satisfied, 14.2%. 19% were very satisfied and 4.7% were not satisfied with the treatment. When the satisfaction criteria were evaluated, it was observed that the patients mostly (71%) were satisfied with the absence of vascular access prob-lems and the comfort of self-application at home.

Conclusion: SCIG therapy causes high serum IgG levels and a reduced frequency of infections and can be a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment alternative in patients with PID with high patient satisfaction.