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
- Case Reports
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
- Autoantibodies / blood*
- Autoimmunity
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / etiology
- Disease Susceptibility
- Humans
- Hypothyroidism / etiology
- Immunoglobulin G / blood*
- Interferon-gamma / immunology*
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / complications
- Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / immunology*
- Mycobacterium chelonae / drug effects
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
- Tuberculosis / complications
- Tuberculosis / immunology*
Substances
- Autoantibodies
- Immunoglobulin G
- Interferon-gamma