William Hofmann
Publication Details
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Inhibition of autoreactive antibody effects with antibody feedings: a pilot study.
J Neuroimmunol. 1999; (1): 1-8
This study seeks to determine if tolerance to autoreactive antibody can be achieved by exposing gut-associated lymphocytic tissue (GALT) to the protein. The method involved immunizing rats with AchR after feeding anti-AchR purified from myasthenic plasma or non-specific, pooled human immunoglobulins. Both feedings improved the neuromuscular block of EAMG, the commercial preparation requiring a tenfold increase in protein concentration. Despite its protective effect, antibody feeding was associated with late levels of serum anti-AchR considerably above those in immunized controls. The hypothesis presented is that the tolerance results from enhanced anti-idiotype production.
