Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) preparations contain anti-oxLDL and anti-anti-oxLDL antibodies.
Background: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is one of the major players in atherogenesis. IVIg can reduce atherosclerosis in experimental animal models.
Methods: Six commercial IVIg preparations were tested for the presence of anti-oxLDL antibodies by EIA. Inhibition studies were performed with the different IVIg preparations and IgGs purified from a pool of sera from patients with high anti-oxLDL antibody levels. Absorption assays were carried out to evaluate the presence of anti-idiotypes against anti-oxLDL antibodies in IVIg preparations.
Results: IVIg preparations tested had various degrees of reactivity towards oxLDL. Absorption experiments suggested that the reactivity was specific because it could be effectively absorbed by oxLDL and not by an irrelevant antigen PPD. The reactivity was smaller than that observed with the IgG from the pool with high anti-oxLDL antibody levels. Inhibition studies with IVIg demonstrated 20-45% inhibition of anti-oxLDL binding to oxLDL, compared to 76% inhibition by the pool with high anti-oxLDL levels. To investigate the presence of anti-idiotypes against anti-oxLDL antibodies within IVIg, F(ab')2 fragments of IVIg IgG were used to absorb IgG F(ab')2 fragments from the pool of sera with high anti-oxLDL levels. The decreased binding to oxLDL of the absorbed supernatants shows that IgG F(ab')2 fragments of the IVIg preparations had high inhibitory capacities ranging from 65 to 90%.
Conclusions: IVIg preparations contain both anti-oxLDL and anti-anti-oxLDL activity. This finding may explain the immunomodulating effect of IVIg in atherosclerosis.