Autoantibodies to interferon-gamma in a patient with selective susceptibility to mycobacterial infection and organ-specific autoimmunity.
We evaluated a patient with disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium chelonae infection, of which he died. He also developed autoimmune (type I) diabetes and primary hypothyroidism. His serum contained a high titer of immunoglobulin G autoantibody to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) capable of blocking in vitro responses to this cytokine by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal donors. These results suggest that autoantibodies to IFN-gamma can induce susceptibility to disseminated mycobacterial infection, which may be refractory to chemotherapy.
Döffinger
Rainer
R
Department of Clinical Immunology and Biochemistry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. rd270@cam.ac.uk
Helbert
Matthew R
MR
Barcenas-Morales
Gabriela
G
Yang
Kun
K
Dupuis
Stephanie
S
Ceron-Gutierrez
Lourdes
L
Espitia-Pinzon
Clara
C
Barnes
Neil
N
Bothamley
Graham
G
Casanova
Jean-Laurent
JL
Longhurst
Hilary J
HJ
Kumararatne
Dinakantha S
DS
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000187:drug effects; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007371:Interferon-gamma