PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 2 Supplement August 1999, pp. 396
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Purpose of the Study To determine the efficacy of intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIG) in severe asthma to reduce steroid requirements.
Study Population Eleven severe steroid-dependent asthmatics (5 adolescents, mean age 14 years; 6 adults, mean age 38.5 years) were studied at National Jewish Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Subjects were excluded if they had cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, acute sinusitis, immunodeficiency, or other chronic diseases besides asthma.
Methods
Steroid dependency was defined as requiring
0.25 mg/kg/day for a
minimum of 2 months before entry into the study and subjects must have
had at least one exacerbation of their asthma during the previous 3 months requiring an additional short course of high-dose oral steroids.
All subjects had been taking daily or alternate day oral steroids for
several years.