[Immunological effect of immunoglobulin on experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate]

To clarify the mechanism of action of immunoglobulin (IgG) in intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, we studied the effect of IgG on the dynamics of immunocompetent cells in the colonic mucosa of experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats. The administration of the same species' IgG suppressed the mucosal infiltration of immunocompetent cells (activated T cells, macrophages and neutrophils), although the different species' IgG didn't. We have already shown that the same species' IgG, suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha, IL-1 alpha and IL-8) in the colonic mucosa of experimental colitis induced by DSS. In the present report, we demonstrated the different species' IgG, as well as same species' IgG, suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha and IL-1 alpha) from lamina propria mononuclear cells of rat large intestine in vitro. Therefore, it was considered that the suppression of cytokine production was a consequence of the decreased immunocompetent cells in colitis mucosa. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the DSS-treated antigen presenting cells (APCs) activated antigen-specific T cells as a possible mechanism underlying the colitis induced by DSS and the same species' IgG inhibited this activation of T cells.