Abstract
We evaluated a patient with disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium chelonae infection, of which he died. He also developed autoimmune (type I) diabetes and primary hypothyroidism. His serum contained a high titer of immunoglobulin G autoantibody to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) capable of blocking in vitro responses to this cytokine by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal donors. These results suggest that autoantibodies to IFN-gamma can induce susceptibility to disseminated mycobacterial infection, which may be refractory to chemotherapy.
Publication types
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Case Reports
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Autoantibodies / blood*
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Autoimmunity
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Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / etiology
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Disease Susceptibility
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Humans
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Hypothyroidism / etiology
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Immunoglobulin G / blood*
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Interferon-gamma / immunology*
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / complications
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Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / immunology*
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Mycobacterium chelonae / drug effects
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
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Tuberculosis / complications
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Tuberculosis / immunology*
Substances
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Autoantibodies
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Immunoglobulin G
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Interferon-gamma