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Click here for: Virus as possible causes for cytokine autoantibody induction.

Naturally occurring, specific and high-avidity autoantibodies to IL-1a, IL-6, GM-CSF, IFN-alpha, and perhaps to IL-10, LIF and a few other cytokines, interfere with biological and immunometric assays for these cytokines in vitro. Although these autoantibodies may neutralise cytokines in vivo, there is experimental support for the idea that some cytokine antibodies may function as carriers and, paradoxically, prolong cytokine functions in vivo. Inappropriate production/function of autoantibodies to cytokines could be pathogenetically involved in infectious and other immunoinflammatory diseases. Cytokine autoantibodies may also contribute to the antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of human high-dose IgG therapy. It is theoretically possible that viral diseases treated with human IgG may be negatively influenced by cytokine-specific IgG contained in these preparations, particularly autoantibodies directed against IFN-alpha.

... from review: Bendtzen K, Hansen MB, Ross C, Svenson M. Cytokine autoantibodies. In: Peter JB, Shoenfeld Y, editors. Autoantibodies. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science B.V., 1996.