Reference Database

YearReference
2009
Anti-interferon-gamma autoantibody in a patient with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex.
Koya, Toshiyuki
Tsubata, Chikako
Kagamu, Hiroshi
Koyama, Ken-ichi
Hayashi, Masachika
Kuwabara, Katsuhiro
Itoh, Takui
Tanabe, Yoshinari
Takada, Toshinori
Gejyo, Fumitake
Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy 2009 Apr;15: 118-22
Abstract

We report the case of a 44-year-old woman with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection involving multiple bone lesions despite a normal healthy status until 6 months previously. Because she was suspected to have acquired immunodeficiency, we tested interferon (IFN)-gamma production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or anti-CD3 stimulation, and found that these cells produced no, or undetectable, levels of IFN-gamma in the presence of the patient's plasma, but produced nearly normal levels of IFN-gamma in the presence of healthy donor plasma. Since the IgG fraction of the patient's plasma was capable of blocking in vitro responses to IFN-gamma, the cause of disseminated MAC infection in this case appeared to be anti-IFN-gamma autoantibodies. To reduce the titer of anti-IFN-gamma autoantibodies, the patient received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). However, titer of autoantibodies changed little compared to that before IVIG administration. According to our literature search, this is only the second case of disseminated MAC infection associated with anti-IFN-gamma autoantibodies in Japan.