title: Asymmetric antibodies: a protective arm in pregnancy.
abstract: In normal conditions, a simple change in the pattern of cytokines towards a Th2 response is associated with the production of aggressive antibodies. This fact could not completely explain phenomena such as the fetal survival or the chronicity of certain infections. However, it has been demonstrated that Th2 cytokines increase the proportion of asymmetric antibodies, which are unable to activate effector immune mechanisms (complement fixation, clearance of antigens and phagocytosis). Investigations of asymmetrically glycosylated antibodies demonstrated that these IgG molecules have an extracarbohydrate in one of the Fab regions. This glycosylation affects their antigen interaction turning them into a functionally univalent and blocking antibodies. It has been established that their synthesis is increased under different physiopathological situations involving Th2 responses: chronic infections by extracellular microorganisms, pregnancy and allergic processes. In this review we summarize the experiments performed by our research group over the last years as well as the advances made concerning the role and mechanism of asymmetric antibodies.
authors.affiliation: IDEHU-Institute of Humoral Immunity Studies (CONICET-UBA), School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Margni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6