@article{MorbachBeyersdorfKerkauetal.2021,
  author    = {Morbach, Caroline and Beyersdorf, Niklas and Kerkau, Thomas and Ramos, Gustavo and Sahiti, Floran and Albert, Judith and Jahns, Roland and Ertl, Georg and Angermann, Christiane E. and Frantz, Stefan and Hofmann, Ulrich and St{\"o}rk, Stefan},
  title     = {Adaptive anti-myocardial immune response following hospitalization for acute heart failure},
  series = {ESC Heart Failure},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {ESC Heart Failure},
  number    = {4},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.13376},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258907},
  pages     = {3348-3353},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Aims It has been hypothesized that cardiac decompensation accompanying acute heart failure (AHF) episodes generates a pro-inflammatory environment boosting an adaptive immune response against myocardial antigens, thus contributing to progression of heart failure (HF) and poor prognosis. We assessed the prevalence of anti-myocardial autoantibodies (AMyA) as biomarkers reflecting adaptive immune responses in patients admitted to the hospital for AHF, followed the change in AMyA titres for 6 months after discharge, and evaluated their prognostic utility. Methods and results AMyA were determined in n = 47 patients, median age 71 (quartiles 60; 80) years, 23 (49\%) female, and 24 (51\%) with HF with preserved ejection fraction, from blood collected at baseline (time point of hospitalization) and at 6 month follow-up (visit F6). Patients were followed for 18 months (visit F18). The prevalence of AMyA increased from baseline (n = 21, 45\%) to F6 (n = 36, 77\%; P < 0.001). At F6, the prevalence of AMyA was higher in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (n = 21, 88\%) compared with patients with reduced ejection fraction (n = 14, 61\%; P = 0.036). During the subsequent 12 months after F6, that is up to F18, patients with newly developed AMyA at F6 had a higher risk for the combined endpoint of death or rehospitalization for HF (hazard ratio 4.79, 95\% confidence interval 1.13-20.21; P = 0.033) compared with patients with persistent or without AMyA at F6. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that AHF may induce patterns of adaptive immune responses. More studies in larger populations and well-defined patient subgroups are needed to further clarify the role of the adaptive immune system in HF progression.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DopplerSchusterAppeltshauseretal.2019,
  author    = {Doppler, Kathrin and Schuster, Yasmin and Appeltshauser, Luise and Biko, Lydia and Villmann, Carmen and Weishaupt, Andreas and Werner, Christian and Sommer, Claudia},
  title     = {Anti-CNTN1 IgG3 induces acute conduction block and motor deficits in a passive transfer rat model},
  series = {Journal of Neuroinflammation},
  volume    = {16},
  journal   = {Journal of Neuroinflammation},
  number    = {73},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12974-019-1462-z},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200476},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Background: Autoantibodies against the paranodal protein contactin-1 have recently been described in patients with severe acute-onset autoimmune neuropathies and mainly belong to the IgG4 subclass that does not activate complement. IgG3 anti-contactin-1 autoantibodies are rare, but have been detected during the acute onset of disease in some cases. There is evidence that anti-contactin-1 prevents adhesive interaction, and chronic exposure to anti-contactin-1 IgG4 leads to structural changes at the nodes accompanied by neuropathic symptoms. However, the pathomechanism of acute onset of disease and the pathogenic role of IgG3 anti-contactin-1 is largely unknown. Methods: In the present study, we aimed to model acute autoantibody exposure by intraneural injection of IgG of patients with anti-contacin-1 autoantibodies to Lewis rats. Patient IgG obtained during acute onset of disease (IgG3 predominant) and IgG from the chronic phase of disease (IgG4 predominant) were studied in comparison. Results: Conduction blocks were measured in rats injected with the "acute" IgG more often than after injection of "chronic" IgG (83.3\% versus 35\%) and proved to be reversible within a week after injection. Impaired nerve conduction was accompanied by motor deficits in rats after injection of the "acute" IgG but only minor structural changes of the nodes. Paranodal complement deposition was detected after injection of the "acute IgG". We did not detect any inflammatory infiltrates, arguing against an inflammatory cascade as cause of damage to the nerve. We also did not observe dispersion of paranodal proteins or sodium channels to the juxtaparanodes as seen in patients after chronic exposure to anti-contactin-1. Conclusions: Our data suggest that anti-contactin-1 IgG3 induces an acute conduction block that is most probably mediated by autoantibody binding and subsequent complement deposition and may account for acute onset of disease in these patients. This supports the notion of anti-contactin-1-associated neuropathy as a paranodopathy with the nodes of Ranvier as the site of pathogenesis.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GruenewaldBennettToykaetal.2016,
  author    = {Gr{\"u}newald, Benedikt and Bennett, Jeffrey L. and Toyka, Klaus V. and Sommer, Claudia and Geis, Christian},
  title     = {Efficacy of Polyvalent Human Immunoglobulins in an Animal Model of Neuromyelitis Optica Evoked by Intrathecal Anti-Aquaporin 4 Antibodies},
  series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  number    = {9},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms17091407},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166000},
  pages     = {1407},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) are associated with autoantibodies (ABs) targeting the astrocytic aquaporin-4 water channels (AQP4-ABs). These ABs have a direct pathogenic role by initiating a variety of immunological and inflammatory processes in the course of disease. In a recently-established animal model, chronic intrathecal passive-transfer of immunoglobulin G from NMOSD patients (NMO-IgG), or of recombinant human AQP4-ABs (rAB-AQP4), provided evidence for complementary and immune-cell independent effects of AQP4-ABs. Utilizing this animal model, we here tested the effects of systemically and intrathecally applied pooled human immunoglobulins (IVIg) using a preventive and a therapeutic paradigm. In NMO-IgG animals, prophylactic application of systemic IVIg led to a reduced median disease score of 2.4 on a 0-10 scale, in comparison to 4.1 with sham treatment. Therapeutic IVIg, applied systemically after the 10th intrathecal NMO-IgG injection, significantly reduced the disease score by 0.8. Intrathecal IVIg application induced a beneficial effect in animals with NMO-IgG (median score IVIg 1.6 vs. sham 3.7) or with rAB-AQP4 (median score IVIg 2.0 vs. sham 3.7). We here provide evidence that treatment with IVIg ameliorates disease symptoms in this passive-transfer model, in analogy to former studies investigating passive-transfer animal models of other antibody-mediated disorders.},
  language  = {en}
}