Immunoglobulin preparation: safe from virus transmission?

The incidence of non-A, non-B hepatitis associated with the administration of immunoglobulin preparations, especially intravenous preparations, which had been considered to be free from virus transmission, is reported. Research efforts to improve the safety of intravenous immunoglobulin preparations which could be administered in a large volume must be continued. Adding sorbitol under weakly acidic conditions, heat treatment of IgG at 60 degrees C for 10 h is possible. Intravenous immunoglobulin preparation manufactured by polyethylene glycol fractionation followed by the heat treatment is not only intact, but also much closer to the ideal intravenous immunoglobulin preparation in the safety and stability.