Different clinical response to interferon beta and glatiramer acetate related to the presence of oligoclonal IgM bands in CSF in multiple sclerosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of interferon beta (IFNß) and glatiramer acetate (GA) related to the presence of oligoclonal M bands (OCMB) in the cerebrospinal fluid in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). METHOD: This is an observational, multicenter and retrospective study with prospectively collected data of patients that started treatment with IFNß or GA. Treatment decision was made blinded to the OCMB status. Time to first attack after starting therapy was compared by using Kaplan-Meier curves, and adjustment by Cox regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-six patients entered in the study (141-55% received IFNß; 115-45% received GA). After a mean follow-up of 41 and 65 months, 54.7% of patients remained free from further attacks (RF). The proportion of RF patients was higher in the GA group than in the IFNß group (72.2 vs. 40.4%, p < 0.001). The IFNß patients with OCMB+ presented the poorest response, 31.3% RF vs. 48.1% in IFNß without OCMB, p = 0.03. CONCLUSION: OCMB in CSF could be a biomarker of treatment response in multiple sclerosis.

Lipid-specific immunoglobulin M bands in cerebrospinal fluid are associated with a reduced risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy during treatment with natalizumab.

OBJECTIVE: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a serious side effect associated with natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS). PML risk increases in individuals seropositive for anti-John Cunningham virus (JC) antibodies, with prolonged duration of natalizumab treatment, and with prior exposure to immunosuppressants. We explored whether the presence of lipid-specific immunoglobulin M oligoclonal bands in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; IgM bands), a recognized marker of highly inflammatory MS, may identify individuals better able to counteract the potential immunosuppressive effect of natalizumab and hence be associated with a reduced risk of developing PML. METHODS: We studied 24 MS patients who developed PML and another 343 who did not suffer this opportunistic infection during natalizumab treatment. Patients were recruited at 25 university hospitals. IgM bands were studied by isoelectric focusing and immunodetection. CSF lymphocyte counts were explored in 151 MS patients recruited at Ramon y Cajal Hospital in Madrid, Spain. RESULTS: IgM bands were independently associated with decreased PML risk (odds ratio [OR] = 45.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.9-339.3, p < 0.0001) in patients treated with natalizumab. They were also associated with significantly higher CSF CD4, CD8, and B-cell numbers. Patients positive for IgM bands and anti-JC antibodies had similar levels of reduced PML risk to those who were anti-JC negative (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.09-25.2, p = 1.0). Higher risk was observed in patients positive for anti-JC antibodies and negative for IgM bands (19% of the total cohort, OR = 59.71, 95% CI = 13.6-262.2). INTERPRETATION: The presence of IgM bands reflects a process that may diminish the risk of PML by counteracting the excess of immunosuppression that may occur during natalizumab therapy.

Intrathecal somatic hypermutation of IgM in multiple sclerosis and neuroinflammation.

Intrathecal oligoclonal bands of the cerebrospinal fluid are considered the most important immunological biomarkers of multiple sclerosis. They typically consist of clonally expanded IgG antibodies that underwent affinity maturation during sustained stimulation by largely unknown antigens. In addition, ∼40% of patients with multiple sclerosis have oligoclonal bands that consist of expanded IgM antibodies. We investigated the molecular composition of IgM- and IgG-chains from cerebrospinal fluid of 12 patients with multiple sclerosis, seven patients with other neurological diseases, and eight healthy control subjects by high-throughput deep-sequencing and single-cell PCR. Further, we studied the expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, the key enzyme for affinity maturation of antibodies, in cerebrospinal fluid samples of 16 patients. From the cerebrospinal fluid of two multiple sclerosis patients we isolated single B cells and investigated the co-expression of antibody chains with activation-induced cytidine deaminase. In striking contrast to IgM-chains from peripheral blood, IgM-chains from cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis or neuroborreliosis showed a high degree of somatic hypermutation. We found a high content of mutations that caused amino acid exchanges as compared to silent mutations. In addition, more mutations were found in the complementarity determining regions of the IgM-chains, which interact with yet unknown antigens, as compared to framework regions. Both observations provide evidence for antigen-driven affinity maturation. Furthermore, single B cells from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis co-expressed somatically hypermutated IgM-chains and activation-induced cytidine deaminase, an enzyme that is crucial for somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination of antibodies and is normally expressed during activation of B cells in germinal centres. Clonal tracking of particular IgM(+) B cells allowed us to relate unmutated ancestor clones in blood to hypermutated offspring clones in CSF. Unexpectedly, however, we found no evidence for intrathecal isotype switching from IgM to IgG. Our data suggest that the intrathecal milieu sustains a germinal centre-like reaction with clonal expansion and extensive accumulation of somatic hypermutation in IgM-producing B cells.

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with AQP4 antibodies revealing ovarian teratoma.

Paraneoplastic myelitis is a rare inflammatory disorder most frequently associated with solid tumors or lymphoproliferative disorders. Patients often harbor onconeuronal antibodies and their prognosis is usually poor. Here we report a 42-year old woman with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies that led to the diagnosis of ovarian teratoma. After tumor removal and immune therapy (including corticosteroids, plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulins and rituximab) the patient progressively improved achieving complete recovery. Histological study of the teratoma demonstrated neural tissue containing AQP4 expressing cells and intense inflammatory infiltrates, providing evidence for a possible paraneoplastic link between both disorders.

Neuronal antigens recognized by cerebrospinal fluid IgM in multiple sclerosis.

Axonal injury is the major cause of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but the mechanisms leading to axonal damage are poorly understood. Oligoclonal IgM against lipids predicts an aggressive disease course in MS; however, the antigen that elicits the immune response has not yet been identified. We screened the CSF of 12 patients with MS, 7 patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and 5 controls with non-inflammatory neurological disease (NIND) for the presence of IgM-type antibodies (IgM-Ab) against neuronal surface antigens, and analyzed the relationship between IgM-Ab level and the extent of brain atrophy. The CSF of MS patients displayed significantly higher levels of IgM-Ab compared to NIND or NMO patients. Furthermore, we document for the first time that these IgM-Ab recognize neuronal surface antigens, and that the levels of neuronal-bound IgM-Ab were independent of the IgM concentration and correlate with brain atrophy. Our findings suggest a role for the CSF IgM-Ab in the development of MS pathophysiology.

Brain atrophy and lesion load are related to CSF lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands in clinically isolated syndromes.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this work is to study the relationship between the presence of lipid-specific oligoclonal IgM bands (LS-OCMB) in CSF, with both T2 lesion volume (T2LV) accumulation and brain atrophy (percentage change of brain volume-PCBV-and brain parenchyma fraction-BPF) in patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suggestive of demyelination. METHODS: Twenty-four CIS patients were included in this prospective study. IgG oligoclonal bands (OCGB) and LS-OCMB were determined in paired serum and CSF samples within 3 months since clinical onset. Brain MRI studies were scheduled at baseline, 3 months, first and second years after CIS onset. Differences in T2LV, PCBV and BPF between CIS patients according to the type of OCB were studied. RESULTS: Nine patients had no OCB; 15 had only OCGB, and seven had OCGB + LS-OCMB present in the CSF. LS-OCMB were associated with greater T2LV in all scheduled MRI studies. At the end of follow-up (year 2), it was threefold higher in patients with these antibodies than in those without LS-OCMB (3.95 cm(3) vs. 1.36 cm(3), p = 0.001). At that point, brain atrophy was also higher in patients with LS-OCMB (BPF, 0.73 in LS-OCMB+ patients vs. 0.76 in negative ones, p = 0.03). The rate in brain atrophy was higher in the first group of patients as well. Considering only patients with OCGB, the presence of LS-OCMB was also related to greater T2LV, T2LV increase and a trend towards higher atrophy rate. CONCLUSION: The presence of LS-OCMB in the first event suggestive of demyelination is related to an early increase in lesion load and brain atrophy. These data are in line with prospective studies showing the clinical prognostic value of LS-OCMB.