Hemorheological changes after intravenous gammaglobulin administration in patients with neurological disorders

Abstract

Hemorheological changes due to intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIg) administration have been considered to influence blood viscosity and this way the blood flow in microcirculation. The study was carried out in the group of 10 patients with various neurological disorders (seven with polyradiculoneuropathy, two suffering from myasthenia and one with multiple sclerosis). Patients were treated routinely with intravenous gammaglobulin infusion (Sandoglobulin, Sandoz, 24 g a day in the course of 5 days therapy). The following hemorheological factors were estimated: relative blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, red cell deformability and erythrocytes aggregation. For rheological examination the microviscosimeter Low Shear 40 (Contraves) was used. Each patient was examined two times: before treatment initiation and at the end of therapy after five days. At the comparison of first and last measurements a significant increase of plasma viscosity (p<0.04) was found, whereas erythrocyte deformability was significantly improved (p<0.05). The value of relative blood viscosity at shear rate of 0.1 s(-1) was significantly decreased (p<0.05) and statistically unchanged at other studied shear rates. The results suggest an existence of a protective feedback mechanism in the studied group of patients which has been exemplified by the red cell elasticity improvement.