title: The role of sialic acid as a modulator of the anti-inflammatory activity of IgG.
abstract: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules can have two completely opposing activities. They can be very potent pro-inflammatory mediators on the one hand, directing the effector functions of the innate immune system towards infected cells, tumor cells or healthy tissues in the case of autoimmune diseases. On the other hand, a mixture of IgG molecules purified from the blood of ten thousands of healthy donors is used as an anti-inflammatory treatment for many autoimmune diseases since several decades. It has become evident only recently that certain residues in the sugar moiety attached to the IgG constant fragment can dramatically alter the pro- and anti-inflammatory activities of IgG. This review will focus on sialic acid residues as a modulator of the anti-inflammatory activity and provide an overview of situations where serum IgG glycosylation and sialylation is altered and which molecular and cellular pathways may be involved in this immunomodulatory pathway.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sybille
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Inessa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lux
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nimmerjahn
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D005690:Galactose