1. Recombinant Human C1 Esterase Inhibitor for the Management of Adverse Events Related to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Infusion in Patients With Common Variable Immunodeficiency or Polyneuropathy: A Pilot Open-Label Study.
- Author
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Melamed IR, Miranda H, Heffron M, and Harper JR
- Subjects
- Administration, Intravenous, Adult, Complement C1 Inhibitor Protein genetics, Complement C1 Inhibitor Protein metabolism, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulins, Intravenous adverse effects, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Recombinant Proteins genetics, Recombinant Proteins metabolism, Recombinant Proteins therapeutic use, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult, Common Variable Immunodeficiency therapy, Complement C1 Inhibitor Protein therapeutic use, Immunoglobulins, Intravenous therapeutic use, Polyneuropathies therapy
- Abstract
It has been hypothesized that low levels of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), a key inhibitor of the complement pathway, may play a role in the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) associated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. This open-label pilot study evaluated C1-INH replacement, with recombinant human C1-INH (rhC1-INH), as a potential therapy for adults requiring IVIG and experiencing AEs. Patients received two rounds of IVIG infusion [pre-treatment phase (no rhC1-INH), 4-8 weeks] and then three rounds of one dose of intravenous rhC1-INH 50 U/kg (maximum, 4,200 U) with subsequent IVIG infusion (treatment phase, 6-12 weeks). Nineteen adults completed the study; all had an autoimmune condition linked to common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) or polyneuropathy, and 57.9% had low baseline C1-INH levels. Mean ± SD total scores improved significantly with the Headache Impact Test (from 62.8 ± 6.2 at pre-treatment to 57.7 ± 9.1 after treatment; mean Δ, -5.0; p = 0.02) and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (from 59.3 ± 13.1 to 51.2 ± 15.4; mean Δ, -8.1; p = 0.006). Significant improvements in the Migraine Disability Assessment were observed for three of five items ( p ≤ 0.002). Mean ± SD C1-INH level increased from 26.8 ± 5.9 mg/dl after the second round of IVIG (pre-treatment) to 32.1 ± 7.8 mg/dl after the third rhC1-INH treatment; functional C1-INH levels increased from 115.8 ± 34.7% to 158.3 ± 46.8%. Future research is warranted to explore the benefit of C1-INH therapy for reduction of IVIG-related AEs, as well as the role of C1-INH in patients with CVID and autoimmune disease., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03576469., Competing Interests: IRM reports serving as a speaker and an advisory board member for Pharming Group NV. JRH is an employee of Pharming Healthcare Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors declare that this study received funding from Pharming Healthcare Inc. The funder had the following involvement in the study: interpretation of data and medical accuracy review of the article content., (Copyright © 2021 Melamed, Miranda, Heffron and Harper.)
- Published
- 2021
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