Is Steroid-Dependent Asthma a Disease Treatable with Intravenous Immunoglobulin?

Intravenous immunoglobulin attenuates airway inflammation through induction of forkhead box protein 3–positive regulatory T cells

“…Furthermore, small clinical trials make a case for studying IVIG for the treatment of patients with severe asthma. 4,5 In this study we build on our previous observations 3 and address the dynamics and cellular basis of Treg cell induction by IVIG in vivo. We investigate whether IVIG can generate Treg cells from conventional CD4 1 T cells, the antigen specificity of IVIG-induced iTreg cells, and contributions of DCs to this process.…”

“…IVIG has been used successfully for the treatment of severe steroid-dependent asthma, but the reasons for its efficacy are not well defined, and further trials are required to better understand its potential use. 4,5 Treg cells are essential mediators of normal immune responses. Imbalances in Treg cell number or function are implicated in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases.…”