Follow-up of anti-IgA antibodies in primary immunodeficient patients treated with gamma-globulin.

The levels of anti-IgA antibodies and the appearance of adverse reactions following gamma-globulin administration in 41 patients affected by primary antibody defects treated with intramuscular (IMGG) or intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG), and 3 patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) have been studied during a 31-month period. Anti-IgA antibodies were restricted to patients with circulating B lymphocytes and measurable amounts of IgA. The incidence of anti-IgA antibodies in the immunodeficient patients studied was 22.7%, and 2 of the 3 WAS patients also had high levels of anti-IgA antibodies. The presence of moderate levels of anti-IgA antibodies (up to 1/1,600) was not associated with adverse reactions. Our results indicate a significant relationship (p less than 0.02) between persistence of anti-IgA antibodies and IMGG administration.