Coagulopathy triggered autoimmunity: experimental antiphospholipid syndrome in factor V Leiden mice.

BACKGROUND: We investigated interactions between genetically and autoimmune-mediated coagulopathies by inducing experimental antiphospholipid syndrome (eAPS) in mice carrying the factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation. METHODS: eAPS was induced in heterozygous and homozygous FVL transgenic mice (C57BL/6 background) by immunization with ß(2)-glycoprotein I (ß(2)-GPI). Autoantibody levels were measured at 1 and 5 months post-immunization. Mice were tested at 4 months post-immunization for behavior and cognitive function in the staircase, elevated plus-maze, and swim T-maze tests. Brains were removed and analyzed by immunohistochemistry for inflammatory markers and neurodegenerative processes. RESULTS: A single immunization with ß(2)-GPI induced significantly higher and longer-lasting immune responses, and this was dependent on the number of FVL alleles. At 1 and 5 months post-immunization, levels of antibodies rose from 1.17 ± 0.07 to 1.62 ± 0.17 (optical density units; ODU) in homozygous FVL mice, compared with stable levels of 0.59 ± 0.17 and 0.48 ± 0.16 ODU in heterozygous FVL mice and a drop from 1.62 ± 0.21 to 0.61 ± 0.13 ODU in wild-type mice. Behavioral and cognitive clinical features of eAPS were also correlated with FVL allele load, as assessed by the elevated plus-maze (altered anxiety), staircase (hyperactivity and higher exploration), and swim T-maze (impaired learning) tests. Histological studies identified significant neurodegenerative changes in both grey and white matter in the eAPS-FVL brains. In spite of the potential interaction of two prothrombotic disease states, there were no ischemic lesions seen in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that genetically mediated coagulopathies increase the risk of developing coagulation-targeted autoimmune responses, and suggest the importance of antibody-mediated neurodegenerative processes in the brain in APS.

Amantadine augmentation therapy for obsessive compulsive patients resistant to SSRIs-an open-label study.

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that glutamatergic dysfunction may play a role in the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and that glutamatergic modulation may ameliorate some of the OC symptoms. We evaluated the effectiveness of amantadine (AMN)- a weak, noncompetitive, antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-as an adjunctive therapy to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and its role in improving OC symptoms in cases refractory to SSRI pharmacotherapy alone. METHODS: Eight patients (5 males and 3 females, aged 42.6 ± 13.1 years) that met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for OCD, scored above 20 points on Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and were unresponsive to at least one SSRI, completed an open label study of 6 weeks duration. AMN was added to the current stable SSRI regimen and baseline and endpoint changes in Y-BOCS, depression and anxiety levels were analyzed. RESULTS: Significant reductions in total Y-BOCS (28 ± 4.5 vs. 18.8 ± 8.8; P < 0.01; df = 7; t = 2.36), Y-BOCS compulsion sub-scale (15.3 ± 3.2 vs. 10.6 ± 4.7; P < 0.02; df = 7; t = 2.36), and Y-BOCS obsession sub-scale (12.7 ± 3.3 vs. 8.1 ± 5; P < 0.05; df = 7; t = 2.36) scores were obtained at endpoint. The anxiety and depression levels remained unaltered. CONCLUSIONS: AMN adjunction to SSRI treatment may lead to a significant reduction in OC symptoms, supporting the hypothesis that transduction of the glutamate signal via NMDA receptor may play a role in OCD. A large scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is warranted to confirm our results.