title: Do immune complexes formed with autoantibodies have a role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis through interaction with FC receptors.
abstract: Natural autoantibodies play an important regulatory role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. They act as a first line of defense against environmental pathogens like toxins, bacteria and erythrocytes. In humans they are mainly produced by CD5+ B cells that are under the control of a regulatory T cell population. Fc-gamma receptors are involved in antigen recognition and signal transduction and tuning, and some of the members of the FcR family have structural similarity to MHC molecules; they may interact with multiple Ig ligands and with non-Ig ligands. We discuss the interactions between immune-complexes formed with natural autoantibodies and Fc-gamma receptors and suggest that such interactions may affect self-recognition in the thymus and regulate immune homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Immunologia Clinica ed Allergologia, Clinica Medica I, University of Palermo, Italy. UT6860@EDL.i
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guarnotta
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Burgio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triolo
mesh_terms: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology*; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011961:Receptors, Fc
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens