Intravenous immunoglobulins exposed to heme (heme IVIG) are more efficient than IVIG in attenuating autoimmune diabetes.

Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) are known to have a therapeutic effect in some autoimmune diseases. We examined the effect of IVIG and heme-exposed IVIG on the development of immune mediated diabetes induced in C57BL/6 mice by multiple low doses of streptozotocin. IVIG were used in a dose of 200mg/kg daily for 15 days. Treatment with IVIG resulted in significant attenuation of diabetes induction as evaluated by glycemia, glycosuria and HbA1c level. Interestingly, heme-exposed IVIG had a still stronger antidiabetogenic effect. Serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL17 were lower in IVIG treated animals when compared with controls, while IL10 level was higher. The number of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) cells was higher in pancreatic lymph nodes of heme-exposed IVIG treated mice. Our results show that IVIG may downregulate diabetes induction possibly by favouring induction of T regulatory cells and suggest enhanced effect upon heme-binding to IVIG.