The pro and anti-inflammatory activities of immunoglobulin G
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology and Immunotherapy, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, Medical Department III, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Correspondence to Dr F Nimmerjahn, Laboratory for Experimental Immunology and Immunotherapy, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, Medical Department III, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glückstrasse 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; fnimmerj{at}molmed.uni-erlangen.de
- Accepted 23 June 2009
Abstract
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules are a family of glycoproteins essential for defending the body against invading pathogens. The antibody constant domain is very potent in initiating proinflammatory pathways such as the activation of innate immune effector cells via cellular receptors specific for the antibody constant region (Fc receptors) and the activation of the complement pathway. During autoimmune disease the normally protective antimicrobial function of these molecules is targeted to healthy tissues often with disastrous consequences. Interestingly, one successful anti-inflammatory therapy for many autoimmune diseases is the infusion of high doses of IgG molecules, the so-called intravenous IgG therapy. How one class of molecules can have such opposing functions will be the major focus of this review.
Footnotes
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Funding This work was funded by grants from the Bavarian genome research network (BayGene) and by the German research foundation (FOR 832 and SFB 643).
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Competing interests None.
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Provenance and Peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
