title: Intravenous immunoglobulin and atherosclerosis.
abstract: Several inflammatory and immunological factors have been established as important contributors to atherogenesis. Among these, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) play a central role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. In atherosclerotic lesions, oxLDL was also found to co-localize with beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2-GPI). Immunoglobulin (Ig)G autoantibodies against beta2-GPI complexed with oxLDL are pro-atherogenic because they increase uptake of the complexes by macrophages. In contrast, IgM natural anti-oxLDL antibodies derived from atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E (ApoE) deficient mice reduced incidence of atherosclerosis. Such anti-oxLDL antibodies have been found in humans, and the accumulating evidences seem to support the idea that anti-oxLDL antibodies have a protective role for atherogenesis. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIgs) contain natural anti-oxLDL antibodies and infusion of IVIg into ApoE-deficient mice has been reported to decrease atherosclerosis. The anti-atherogenic property of IVIg may be derived from non-antigen-specific antibody binding to FCgamma receptors, which blocks foam cell formation of macrophages. Several other possible mechanisms are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Chemistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. eijimatu@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006023:Glycoproteins; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein