Monoclonal antibody-mediated toxicity in Cryptococcus neoformans infection: mechanism and relationship to antibody isotype.

Antibody reagents represent an alternative for the therapy of human cryptococcosis, and monoclonal antibody 18B7 (IgG1) is a candidate for phase I trial in humans with cryptococcosis. However, antibody administration to mice with established Cryptococcus neoformans infection has been reported to produce acute lethal toxicity (ALT). The present study confirmed this phenomenon and investigated the mechanism of ALT. ALT was associated with hemoconcentration, hypotension, and circulatory collapse; however, toxicity could be prevented by platelet-activating factor inhibitor, rat antibody to Fc receptor, or IgM before IgG1. Significant isotype-specific differences were found in ALT, which can be interpreted as consistent with the hypothesis that there are distinct Fc receptors for murine IgG1 and IgG3. The IgM and IgG3 isotype preference in antibody responses to polysaccharide antigens in mice may translate to a lack of toxicity of antigen-antibody complexes during the course of infections with encapsulated pathogens.