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Sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) is a chronic, progressive form of inflammatory myopathy occurring mostly in patients over 50 years of age and predominantly in males. The disease is notoriously refractory to treatment, and new approaches are sorely needed. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was tested in 22 typical patients with s-IBM (14 men, 8 women), with a disease duration of 1 to 14 years (mean, 5.2 years). Patients received monthly infusions of 2-g/kg-body-weight IVIg or placebo for 6 months, followed by the alternative treatment.
In muscle strength testing at 6 and 12 months, using a modified Medical Research Council scale, IVIg proved no better than pl…