title: New insight into the mechanism of action of IVIg: the role of dendritic cells.
abstract: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is used to treat an ever-increasing number of autoimmune diseases. While the exact mechanism of action of IVIg has remained elusive, many theories have been suggested, including mononuclear phagocytic system blockade, autoantibody neutralization by anti-idiotype antibodies, accelerated pathogenic autoantibody clearance by saturation of the neonatal Fc receptor, cytokine modulation and complement neutralization. More recently, a key role for dendritic cells (DC) in the amelioration of autoimmunity by IVIg has been suggested. Here we will focus on the role that DC may play in IVIg function using data from both mouse and human studies.
authors.affiliation: The Canadian Blood Services, The Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St Michael's Hospital, The Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group and The Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Crow
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brinc
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lazarus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous