Antibodies Against Immune Signaling Molecules Lead to Immune Deficiencies

Patients with thymomas, or tumors found in the thymus, often produce antibodies against signaling molecules that modulate the immune system. Antibodies against one such molecule, interleukin-23 (IL-23), could contribute to adult-onset immunodeficiency that lead to opportunistic infections. This finding was reported in a recent publication titled Anti–Interleukin-23 Autoantibodies in Adult-Onset Immunodeficiency.

It’s common for patients with thymomas to produce autoantibodies against IL-12, a signaling molecule that shares some similarities with IL-23. This study found that half of the patients with autoantibodies against IL-12 also produce autoantibodies against IL-23. Antibodies against IL-12 were not associated with opportunistic infections. When the researchers examined thymoma patients with “disseminated, cerebral, or pulmonary infections,” 83% of them had antibodies against IL-23, further underscoring the link between IL-23 antibodies and opportunistic infections.

Citation:

Cheng, A., et al. (2024). Anti–interleukin-23 autoantibodies in adult-onset immunodeficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 390(12), 1105–1117. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2210665