The Role of IgM-Enriched Immunoglobulin (Pentaglobin) in Septic Patients with Hematological Disease

Background: Patients with hematological disease are 15 times more likely to develop sepsis than the general population. The patient with hematological disease and, mainly, those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), develop a severe secondary humoral immunodeficiency, with low serum levels of IgM, which may take more than a year to be restored. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, controlled and observational study that analyzed 51 patients with underlying hematological disease, who were diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock during the study period, to evaluate whether IgM-rich Ig replacement decreases the 30-day mortality. Results: Of the 51 patients, 35 patients received IgM-rich immunoglobulin (group A) and 16 (31%) received conventional therapy. Eleven (69%) patients in the control group were alive after 30 days compared to 11 (34%) patients in the intervention group, p= 0.013. Conclusion: There are no apparent benefits in the use of IgM-rich immunoglobulin in septic patients with hematological disease.