Premium
Suppression of Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis by Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Isolation of a Disease‐Specific IgG Fraction
Author(s) -
FUCHS SARA,
FEFERMAN TALI,
ZHU KAIYUN,
MEIDLER ROBERTO,
MARGALIT RAANAN,
WANG NINGSHAN,
LAUB ORGAD,
SOUROUJON MIRIAM C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1423.059
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , antibody , immunology , medicine , autoimmune disease , intravenous immunoglobulins , immunoglobulin g , autoimmunity
Abstract : Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration has been beneficially used for the treatment of a variety of autoimmune diseases including myasthenia gravis (MG). We have demonstrated that IVIG administration in experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG) results in suppression of disease that is accompanied by decreased Th1 cell and B cell proliferation. Chromatography of pooled human immunoglobulins (IVIGs) on immobilized IgG, isolated from rats with EAMG, results in a complete depletion of the suppressive activity of the IVIG. Moreover, the eluate from this EAMG‐specific antibody column retains the immunosuppressive activity of IVIG. This study supports the notion that the therapeutic effect of IVIGs is mediated by an antigen‐specific anti‐immunoglobulin (anti‐idiotypic) activity that is essential for its suppressive activity.