Abstract
An altered immune homeostasis as a result of deficiency or defective function of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is common in several autoimmune diseases. Hence, therapeutic strategies to render Tregs functionally competent are being investigated. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is being increasingly used for the treatment of a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that IVIG induces the expansion of Tregs and enhances their suppressive functions. These effects of IVIG on Tregs correlate with the beneficial effects of IVIG in patients with autoimmune diseases. Thus, modulation of Tregs by IVIG represents a novel mode of action that explains the therapeutic effects of IVIG in T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in IVIG-mediated modulation of Tregs are unclear and need further investigation.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by grants from the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris Descartes-Paris 5, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6; talents research grant and eSPIN (European Scientific Progress—Immunoglobulins in Neurology) Award 2009 from Talecris Biotherapeutics.
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Maddur, M.S., Othy, S., Hegde, P. et al. Immunomodulation by Intravenous Immunoglobulin: Role of Regulatory T Cells. J Clin Immunol 30 (Suppl 1), 4–8 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-010-9394-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-010-9394-5