Comment on 'AIRE-deficient patients harbor unique high-affinity disease-ameliorating autoantibodies'.

The AIRE gene plays a key role in the development of central immune tolerance by promoting thymic presentation of tissue-specific molecules. Patients with AIRE -deficiency develop multiple autoimmune manifestations and display autoantibodies against the affected tissues. In 2016 it was reported that: i) the spectrum of autoantibodies in patients with AIRE -deficiency is much broader than previously appreciated; ii) neutralizing autoantibodies to type I interferons (IFNs) could provide protection against type 1 diabetes in these patients (Meyer et al., 2016). We attempted to replicate these new findings using a similar experimental approach in an independent patient cohort, and found no evidence for either conclusion.
Competing Interests: NL, LR, EF, DE, TF, GS, EF, PB, DS, ML, MA No competing interests declared, MS Serves as founder and consultant for Personalis, is a member of the scientific advisory board of GenapSys, and a consultant for Illumina. OK Is a board member of Olink Bioscience.