Induction of neutralizing autoantibodies to interferon-γ in patients with polyneuropathy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Elkarim, Rihab A.^a | Mustafa, Maha^a | Link, Hams^a | Bakhiet, Moiz^{a; *} | Ekerfelt, Christina^b | Vrethem, Magnus^b | Ernerudh, Jan^b

Affiliations: [a] Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: + 46 8 58582276 | [b] Department of Neurology and Transfusion Medicine and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. Tel.: + 46 13 222000

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Moiz Bakhiet, MD, Ph.D., Division for Neurology, Huddinge University Hospital (R54) S-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden. Tel.: + 46 8 58582276; Fax: + 46 8 7744822; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: We previously demonstrated the induction of IFN-γ in polyneuropathy patients associated with monoclonal gammopathy, but not in patients with presumably non-immuno-logical types of neuropathy. We herein examined mechanism involving release of neutralizing autoantibodies (Aabs) to IFN-γ in sera from those pateints. In contrast to polyneuropathy patients with monoclonal gammopathy, patients with polyneuropathy of presumably non-immunological types showed increased production of neutralizing Aabs specific for IFN-γ. These results demonstrate a role for autoimmunity in cytokine regulation. However, their association to the clinical manifestations of the disease requires further investigations, which are necessary for future consideration in therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: polyneuropathy, monoclonal gammopathy, autoantibody, IFN-γ, cytokine

DOI: 10.3233/HAB-1999-9106

Journal: Human Antibodies, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 55-60, 1999