IVIG for Drug and Device Refractory Gastrointestinal Auto-Immune Neuropathy

Overview

Patients with the symptoms of generalized GI dysmotility, including gastroparesis, are sometimes refractory to available medications, devices and other interventions/ Some of these patients have serologic and/or endo organ abnormalities and findings consistent with autoimmune neuropathies, primarily involving the GI tract. These disorders have been known as autoimmune gastrointestinal neuropathies (GAIN) or also as autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility (AGID), among other terms. Some patients respond to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and this study, which is an observational clinical series, documents the patients, their findings and standardized responses to therapy with IVIG.

Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders encompass a large group of patients including a subset with autoimmune findings, either on serologic testing and/or end organ anatomic and physiologic effects. The identification of patients with autoimmune gastrointestinal neuropathies (GAIN) or also as autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility (AGID), has led to trial with autoimmune therapies. Most promising therapy has been intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and this, usually given in 12-week courses with standard dosing, has helped a number of patient's refractory to other available therapies including diet, drugs, devices and enteral diversions/disruptions.This observational study documents clinical observations in consecutive patients meeting entry criteria who received IVIG. Patients will have their gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms documented by a standardized patient reported outcome (PRO) survey at baseline and use the same assessment tools after at least one course of IVIG therapy.

Conditions