van der Heijden Maurice, Kraneveld Aletta, Redegeld Frank
Department of Pharmacology and Pathophysiology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80082, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Mar 8;533(1-3):319-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.12.065. Epub 2006 Feb 7.
Immunoglobulin free light chains were long considered irrelevant bystander products of immunoglobulin synthesis by B lymphocytes. To date, different studies suggest that free light chains may have important functional activities. For instance, it has been shown that immunoglobulin free light chains can elicit mast cell-driven hypersensitivity responses leading to asthma and contact sensitivity. Free light chains also show other biologic actions such as anti-angiogenic and proteolytic activities or can be used as specific targeting vehicles. Levels of free light chain levels in body fluids increase markedly in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. In this review, we will focus on the unexpected biological activities of immunoglobulin free light chains with special attention to its possible role in the induction of chronic inflammatory diseases.
免疫球蛋白游离轻链长期以来被认为是B淋巴细胞合成免疫球蛋白时无关的旁观者产物。迄今为止，不同的研究表明游离轻链可能具有重要的功能活性。例如，已经表明免疫球蛋白游离轻链可引发肥大细胞驱动的超敏反应，导致哮喘和接触性敏感。游离轻链还表现出其他生物学作用，如抗血管生成和蛋白水解活性，或可作为特异性靶向载体。在诸如多发性硬化症、类风湿性关节炎和系统性红斑狼疮等疾病中，体液中游离轻链水平会显著升高。在本综述中，我们将重点关注免疫球蛋白游离轻链出人意料的生物学活性，特别关注其在慢性炎症性疾病诱导中的可能作用。
