Autoantibodies to Tumor Necrosis Factor in Patients with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an important role in immune responses to the causative agent of tuberculosis, . Additionally, TNF can also mediate many negative disease manifestations. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of anti-TNF autoantibodies to the pathogenesis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Production of pure fractions of immunoglobulin G subclass autoantibodies against tumor necrosis factor.

Autoantibodies directed against cytokines are important effector molecules regulating the biological activity of cytokines. There is experimental evidence indicating that autoantibodies belonging to different immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses may have different functional activity. The purpose of this work was to develop a protocol for the purification of fractions of IgG subclass antibodies directed against tumor necrosis factor (TNF).