Discovery of mechanisms triggering excess antibody production during chronic infection
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 - 15:43
in Health & Medicine
Some autoimmune diseases and persistent infections are characterized by high levels of antibodies in the blood. But what are the causes of this hypergammaglobulinemia? Medical researchers have successfully identified the mechanisms triggering the phenomenon. For the first time ever, they have established a link between B-cell activation by a protein -- type 1 interferon -- and unusually high antibody levels.