Mechanism of Action
The precise mechanism by which IVIG suppresses harmful inflammation has not been definitively established but is believed to involve the inhibitory Fc receptor. However, the actual primary target(s) of IVIG in autoimmune disease are still unclear. IVIG may work via a multi-step model where the injected IVIG first forms a type of immune complex in the patient. Once these immune complexes are formed, they interact with activating Fc receptors on dendritic cells which then mediate anti-inflammatory effects helping to reduce the severity of the autoimmune disease or inflammatory state.
Additionally, the donor antibody may bind directly with the abnormal host antibody, stimulating its removal. Alternatively, the massive quantity of antibody may stimulate the host's complement system, leading to enhanced removal of all antibodies, including the harmful ones. IVIG also blocks the antibody receptors on immune cells (macrophages), leading to decreased damage by these cells, or regulation of macrophage phagocytosis.
IVIG may also regulate the immune response by reacting with a number of membrane receptors on T cells, B cells, and monocytes that are pertinent to autoreactivity and induction of tolerance to self.
A recent report stated that IVIG application to activated T cells leads to their decreased ability to engage microglia. As a result of IVIG treatment of T cells, the findings showed reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 in T cell-microglia co-culture. The results add to the understanding of how IVIG may affect inflammation of the central nervous system in autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Read more about this topic: Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Famous quotes containing the words mechanism of, mechanism and/or action:
“Life is an offensive, directed against the repetitious mechanism of the Universe.”
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947)
“I’ve never known a Philadelphian who wasn’t a downright “character;” possibly a defense mechanism resulting from the dullness of their native habitat.”
—Anita Loos (1888–1981)
“Any genuine philosophy leads to action and from action back again to wonder, to the enduring fact of mystery.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)