Advanced Diagnostic Laboratories

Test Code

IFNGE

Description

The association of anti-cytokine antibodies with immune dysregulation, immune deficiency or autoimmunity is increasingly being recognized. Anti-IFNγ autoantibodies have been noted to be associated with chronic, treatment refractory, extrapulmonary infections with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species, anti-IL17 autoantibodies with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) and anti-IFN-alpha autoantibodies with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Low titer anti-cytokine autoantibodies may be detected in normal individuals and may serve a regulatory purpose. However, anti-cytokine autoantibodies associated with pathological findings tend to be of high titer and demonstrate significant neutralizing activity in vitro. Recognition of these autoantibodies is of benefit since it may direct the use of adjunctive immunotherapy to modulate the autoantibody titer while continuing with conventional therapies.

Detection of these autoantibodies is performed by ELISA to assess titer. Positive results will reflex to flow cytometry to assess the ability of the autoantibody to neutralize cytokine mediated signaling.