Immune Globulins and Autism Ranking:

Aims and Claims

Aims

Immunoglobulin injections or infusions are normally used to treat patients with a wide range of immune deficiency disorders. The treatment is designed to replace the immunoglobulin which is missing in those patients.

Some people believe that a subset of autistic individuals may also have insufficient immunoglobulin in their bodies. For example, Gupta et al (2010) stated

“Because patients with autism display IgG or IgG subclass deficiency, the presence of autoantibodies, and an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and IVIG is used as a replacement therapy and plays an important immunomodulatory role in autoantibody production and proinflammatory chemokine and cytokine secretion, a good rationale exists for the use of IVIG in at least a subset of patients with autism.” 

Please note: There is no scientific consensus on the underlying mechanism of action of immunoglobulins in the treatment of immune deficiency disorders.

Claims 

There have been various claims made for the use of immunoglobulins as an intervention for autistic people. For example, 

• Boris et al (2006) claimed that immunoglobulin therapy resulted in a substantial reduction of overall aberrant behaviours soon after the participants received their first dose. They also claimed that some participants showed “decreases in hyperactivity, inappropriate speech, irritability, lethargy and stereotypy”.
• Gupta et al (1996) claimed that immunoglobulin therapy resulted in improved eye contact, speech, behaviour, echolalia, and other autistic features.  
• Schneider et al (2006) claimed that immunoglobulin therapy led to improvements in gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, as well as significant behavioural improvements.

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

31 May 2018

Next Review

01 Jun 2024