Anticytokine autoantibody-associated immunodeficiency

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Autoimmunity

Background:

• Anticytokine autoantibodies are increasingly recognized as a cause of disease in previously healthy individuals.
• These autoantibodies neutralize specific cytokines, leading to a distinct infectious phenotype.
• Examples include anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies associated with mycobacterial infections and anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor autoantibodies linked to cryptococcal meningitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical and mechanistic understanding of anticytokine autoantibody-associated immunodeficiency.
• To highlight the association between specific autoantibodies and particular infections.
• To explore the potential for anticytokine autoantibodies to explain currently idiopathic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of clinical cases and mechanistic studies.
• Analysis of associations between specific autoantibodies and infectious agents.
• Discussion of diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Main Results:

• Established links between anti-IFN-γ and mycobacteria, anti-GM-CSF and cryptococcosis, anti-IL-6 and staphylococcal infections, and anti-IL-17/IL-22 and candidiasis.
• Potential roles for anti-G-CSF and anti-IFN-α autoantibodies in infections are suggested but require further study.
• Identification of these autoantibodies is crucial for disease management and understanding host defense.

Conclusions:

• Anticytokine autoantibodies represent a significant, emerging cause of immunodeficiency and recurrent infections.
• Their detection is vital for accurate diagnosis, targeted treatment, and potentially uncovering novel disease mechanisms.
• This field holds promise for explaining previously unexplained idiopathic conditions.