RESUMO
Many investigators have been intrigued by the paradoxical association of a circulating anticoagulant, first called lupus anticoagulant by Feinstein and Rapaport [1], with a tendency to develop thrombosis, as initially described by Walter Bowie [2]. Work in Leuven on this topic started when Luis Carreras, an Argentinian hematologist, joined the laboratory of blood coagulation at this university in 1979. At that time, the head of the laboratory was Marc Verstraete. Luis had a particular interest in antibody-mediated coagulation disorders, and had prepared reviews on thrombosis and thrombocytopenia induced by heparin [3] and on the lupus inhibitor [4]. In Leuven, he joined Jos Vermylen, senior member of the laboratory, and an internist with particular interest in hemostasis, thrombosis and vascular disease. As such, Professor Vermylen was involved in both laboratory research and patient care.
Assuntos
Síndrome Antifosfolipídica/história , Pesquisa Biomédica/história , Hematologia/história , Complicações Hematológicas na Gravidez/história , Animais , Anticorpos Anticardiolipina/história , Síndrome Antifosfolipídica/imunologia , Síndrome Antifosfolipídica/metabolismo , Epoprostenol/história , Feminino , História do Século XX , Humanos , Fragmentos Fc das Imunoglobulinas/história , Inibidor de Coagulação do Lúpus/história , Ativação Plaquetária , Gravidez , Complicações Hematológicas na Gravidez/imunologia , Complicações Hematológicas na Gravidez/metabolismo , Trombose/história , beta 2-Glicoproteína I/históriaRESUMO
Passive antibody can both suppress and augment immune responses. Until recently, there was virtual unanimity on the importance of the interaction of the Fc portion of modulating antibody with Fc-receptors (Fc-signalling), especially in experiments involving the suppression by antibody. Experiments reported in the last few years, that do not demonstrate the range of Fc-portion/Fc-receptor influences on the suppression of immune responses by passive antibody, have introduced new uncertainty into this field. The purpose of this paper is to review how the initial controversy on the influence of Fc-signalling in inhibition by passive antibody was resolved. Old and new approaches are suggested that may help in resolving the current uncertainty engendered by recent experimental results that were interpreted to mean that passive suppressive antibody does not utilize the inhibitory FcgammaRIIB receptor. An understanding of the factors that influence negative Fc-signalling is needed in order to optimize clinical therapies whose action depends on the suppressive property of antibody.