Efficacy, Acceptability, and Safety of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Administration for Mild-To-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy/safety of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients was performed. Six randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (n=801) were included in this study. No significant difference in cognitive function was observed between the groups. Moreover, IVIG was inferior to placebo in behavioral disturbances (mean difference=2.19). Further, IVIG administration was associated with a higher incidence of rash than placebo. Our results do not support IVIG administration for mild-to-moderate AD, suggesting that IVIG is not effective to treat mild-to-moderate AD and that it deteriorates behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in mild-to-moderate AD.