Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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ARE IgG-ANTI-FAB2ɤ AND IgG-ANTI-HINGE ANTIBODIES ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN?

DAN NAVOLAN 1#*, IOAN SAS 1#, PETER TERNESS2

1.Department of Obstetrics-Gynaecology and Neonatology, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 3 Odobescu Street, 300202, Timisoara, Romania
2.Department of Transplantation-Immunology, Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

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Our aim was to find out if immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIG) contain IgG-anti-F(ab')2γ (AFab2) and IgG-anti- Hinge (AH) antibodies (Ab.) and to discuss how AFab2, in particular AH could contribute to immunomodulatory effect of IVIGs. We measured IgG, AFab2 and AH in five IVIG products approved for therapeutic use. IVIG showed higher AFab2 and AH concentration than sera of randomized healthy controls. Individual IVIG products showed different AFab2 and AH concentrations. AFab2 and AH were thought to exert an immunosuppressive effect in patients with certain autoimmune diseases, graft recipients and pregnant women. Since in these cases the disease may be caused by a decreased AFab2 and AH concentration abrogating the immunotolerance, it is expected that administration of AFab2 and AH containing IVIGs would reverse the immunotolerance and cure the disease. The data presented herein show for the first time that some IVIGs contain a significant amount of AFab2 and AH and thus open the door for substitutive therapies of diseases in which these immunosuppressive antibodies play a pathogenetic role.