Comparative Analysis of Antigen Specificities in the Monomeric and Dimeric Fractions of Intravenous Immunoglobulin

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Abstract
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparations are derived from the pooled plasma of thousands of healthy donors and contain a complex mix of antibodies. Depending on the formulation, IVIG preparations contain variable amounts of monomeric and dimeric IgG. The biological and therapeutic significance of these IVIG fractions is still ill defined. Kinetic analysis of monomeric and dimeric IgG isolated by size-exclusion chromatography revealed a stable monomeric versus an unstable dimeric IgG fraction tending to dissociation. Biochemical analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis and isotype analysis showed no significant differences between the fractions. In contrast, comparative analysis by immunodot, ELISA, FACS, and immunohistology of monomeric and dimeric IgG fractions showed a preferential reactivity of the dimeric IgG on a variety of both self-antigens and exoantigens.