Purpose: To evaluate intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) treatment, which is immunomodulatory but not immunosuppressive, in SLE.
Main issues: IVIG indications in SLE could be categorized as already validated as for chronic polyradiculoneuropathy or thrombocytopenia; failure of classical treatment in threatening active disease; undetermined manifestation as reactive hemophagocytic syndrome which could be both disease-specific or iatrogenic, infection-related. To date, no published study has firmly established the efficacy of IVIG in SLE.
Conclusion: IVIG therapy in SLE should be evaluated in prospective trials.