Intravenous immunoglobulins containing antibodies against ß-amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Methods: Five patients with AD were enrolled and received monthly IVIgG over a 6 month period. Efficacy assessment included total Aß/Aß_1–42 measured in the CSF/serum as well as effects on cognition (ADAS-cog; CERAD) at baseline and at 6 months following IVIgG.

Results: Following IVIgG, total Aß levels in the CSF decreased by 30.1% (17.3–43.5%) compared to baseline (p<0.05). Total Aß increased in the serum by 233% (p<0.05). No significant change was found in Aß_1–42 levels in the CSF/serum. Using ADAS-cog, an improvement of 3.7±2.9 points was detected. Scores in the MMSE were essentially unchanged (improved in four patients, stable in one patient) following IVIgG compared to baseline.

Conclusion: Although the sample size of this pilot study is too small to draw a clear conclusion, the results of this pilot study provide evidence for a more detailed investigation of IVIgG for the treatment of AD.

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