Pros and cons of treating murine myasthenia gravis with anti-C1q antibody

To test the feasibility of classical complement pathway manipulation in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) treatment, C57BL/6 (B6) and RIIIS/J mice with EAMG were treated with 10 μg or 100 μg of anti-C1q Ab or isotype Ab. Treatment with 10 μg anti-C1q Ab significantly reduced the clinical severity, decreased lymph node cell IL-6 production and T cell populations. Conversely, administration of 100 μg anti-C1q Ab caused harmful side effects such as increased serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody, immune complex, C3 and lymph node B cell levels and kidney C3 and IgG deposits, which reduced the treatment efficacy.