TY - JOUR A1 - Rovituso, Damiano M. A1 - Scheffler, Laura A1 - Wunsch, Marie A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Dörck, Sebastian A1 - Ulzheimer, Jochen A1 - Bayas, Antonios A1 - Steinman, Lawrence A1 - Ergün, Süleyman A1 - Kuerten, Stefanie T1 - CEACAM1 mediates B cell aggregation in central nervous system autoimmunity JF - Scientific Reports N2 - B cell aggregates in the central nervous system (CNS) have been associated with rapid disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we demonstrate a key role of carcinoembryogenic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule1 (CEACAM1) in B cell aggregate formation in MS patients and a B cell-dependent mouse model of MS. CEACAM1 expression was increased on peripheral blood B cells and CEACAM1\(^+\) B cells were present in brain infiltrates of MS patients. Administration of the anti-CEACAM1 antibody T84.1 was efficient in blocking aggregation of B cells derived from MS patients. Along these lines, application of the monoclonal anti-CEACAM1 antibody mCC1 was able to inhibit CNS B cell aggregate formation and significantly attenuated established MS-like disease in mice in the absence of any adverse effects. CEACAM1 was co-expressed with the regulator molecule T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain −3 (TIM-3) on B cells, a novel molecule that has recently been described to induce anergy in T cells. Interestingly, elevated coexpression on B cells coincided with an autoreactive T helper cell phenotype in MS patients. Overall, these data identify CEACAM1 as a clinically highly interesting target in MS pathogenesis and open new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of the disease. KW - autoimmunity KW - multiple sclerosis KW - neuroimmunology Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147690 VL - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ruck, Tobias A1 - Bittner, Stefan A1 - Afzali, Ali Maisam A1 - Göbel, Kerstin A1 - Glumm, Sarah A1 - Kraft, Peter A1 - Sommer, Claudia A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Preusse, Corinna A1 - Stenzel, Werner A1 - Wiendl, Heinz A1 - Meuth, Sven G. T1 - The NKG2D-IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to T-cell mediated pathology in inflammatory myopathies JF - Oncotarget N2 - NKG2D is an activating receptor on T cells, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. T cells are critically involved in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and have been proposed as specific therapeutic targets. However, the mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated progressive muscle destruction in IIM remain to be elucidated. We here determined the involvement of the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway. Primary human myoblasts expressed NKG2D ligands, which were further upregulated upon inflammatory stimuli. In parallel, shedding of the soluble NKG2D ligand MICA (sMICA) decreased upon inflammation potentially diminishing inhibition of NKG2D signaling. Membrane-related expression of IL-15 by myoblasts induced differentiation of naive CD8\(^+\) T cells into highly activated, cytotoxic \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cells demonstrating NKG2D-dependent lysis of myoblasts in vitro. \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cell frequencies were increased in the peripheral blood of polymyositis (PM) patients and correlated with serum creatinine kinase concentrations, while serum sMICA levels were not significantly changed. In muscle biopsy specimens from PM patients expression of the NKG2D ligand MICA/B was upregulated, IL-15 was expressed by muscle cells, CD68\(^+\) macrophages as well as CD4\(^+\) T cells, and \(CD8^+NKG2D^+\) cells were frequently detected within inflammatory infiltrates arguing for a local signaling circuit in the inflammatory muscle milieu. In conclusion, the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to progressive muscle destruction in IIM potentially opening new therapeutic avenues. KW - MIC ligands KW - pathology section KW - T cell activation KW - idiopathic inflammatory myopathies KW - polymyositis KW - IL-15 KW - NKG2D KW - receptor KW - expression KW - lymphokine-activated killer KW - human muscle-cells KW - multiple sclerosis KW - celiac disease KW - tumor immunity KW - NKG2D ligands KW - cutting edge Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-136047 VL - 6 IS - 41 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jarius, Sven A1 - Ruprecht, Klemens A1 - Wildemann, Brigitte A1 - Kuempfel, Tania A1 - Ringelstein, Marius A1 - Geis, Christian A1 - Kleiter, Ingo A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Berthele, Achim A1 - Brettschneider, Johannes A1 - Hellwig, Kerstin A1 - Hemmer, Bernhard A1 - Linker, Ralf A. A1 - Lauda, Florian A1 - Hayrettin, Christoph A. A1 - Tumani, Hayrettin A1 - Melms, Arthur A1 - Trebst, Corinna A1 - Stangel, Martin A1 - Marziniak, Martin A1 - Hoffmann, Frank A1 - Schippling, Sven A1 - Faiss, Jürgen H. A1 - Neuhaus, Oliver A1 - Ettrich, Barbara A1 - Zentner, Christian A1 - Guthke, Kersten A1 - Hofstadt-van Oy, Ulrich A1 - Reuss, Reinhard A1 - Pellkofer, Hannah A1 - Ziemann, Ulf A1 - Kern, Peter A1 - Wandinger, Klaus P. A1 - Bergh, Florian Then A1 - Boettcher, Tobias A1 - Langel, Stefan A1 - Liebetrau, Martin A1 - Rommer, Paulus S. A1 - Niehaus, Sabine A1 - Münch, Christoph A1 - Winkelmann, Alexander A1 - Zettl, Uwe K A1 - Metz, Imke A1 - Veauthier, Christian A1 - Sieb, Jörn P. A1 - Wilke, Christian A1 - Hartung, Hans P. A1 - Aktas, Orhan A1 - Paul, Friedemann T1 - Contrasting disease patterns in seropositive and seronegative neuromyelitis optica: A multicentre study of 175 patients JF - Journal of Neuroinflammation N2 - Background: The diagnostic and pathophysiological relevance of antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) has been intensively studied. However, little is known so far about the clinical impact of AQP4-Ab seropositivity. Objective: To analyse systematically the clinical and paraclinical features associated with NMO spectrum disorders in Caucasians in a stratified fashion according to the patients' AQP4-Ab serostatus. Methods: Retrospective study of 175 Caucasian patients (AQP4-Ab positive in 78.3%). Results: Seropositive patients were found to be predominantly female (p < 0.0003), to more often have signs of co-existing autoimmunity (p < 0.00001), and to experience more severe clinical attacks. A visual acuity of <= 0.1 during acute optic neuritis (ON) attacks was more frequent among seropositives (p < 0.002). Similarly, motor symptoms were more common in seropositive patients, the median Medical Research Council scale (MRC) grade worse, and MRC grades <= 2 more frequent, in particular if patients met the 2006 revised criteria (p < 0.005, p < 0.006 and p < 0.01, respectively), the total spinal cord lesion load was higher (p < 0.006), and lesions >= 6 vertebral segments as well as entire spinal cord involvement more frequent (p < 0.003 and p < 0.043). By contrast, bilateral ON at onset was more common in seronegatives (p < 0.007), as was simultaneous ON and myelitis (p < 0.001); accordingly, the time to diagnosis of NMO was shorter in the seronegative group (p < 0.029). The course of disease was more often monophasic in seronegatives (p < 0.008). Seropositives and seronegatives did not differ significantly with regard to age at onset, time to relapse, annualized relapse rates, outcome from relapse (complete, partial, no recovery), annualized EDSS increase, mortality rate, supratentorial brain lesions, brainstem lesions, history of carcinoma, frequency of preceding infections, oligoclonal bands, or CSF pleocytosis. Both the time to relapse and the time to diagnosis was longer if the disease started with ON (p < 0.002 and p < 0.013). Motor symptoms or tetraparesis at first myelitis and > 1 myelitis attacks in the first year were identified as possible predictors of a worse outcome. KW - cerebrospinal-fluid KW - intractable hiccup KW - extensiv transverse myelitis KW - multiple sclerosis KW - anti-aquaporin-4 antibody KW - NMO-IGG KW - aquaporin-4 autoantibodies KW - immune-response KW - myasthenia gravis KW - immunoglobulin-G Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-133636 VL - 9 IS - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rovituso, Damiano M. A1 - Duffy, Catharina E. A1 - Schroeter, Michael A1 - Kaiser, Claudia C. A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Bayas, Antonios A1 - Elsner, Rebecca A1 - Kuerten, Stefanie T1 - The brain antigen-specific B cell response correlates with glatiramer acetate responsiveness in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients JF - Scientific Reports N2 - B cells have only recently begun to attract attention in the immunopathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Suitable markers for the prediction of treatment success with immunomodulatory drugs are still missing. Here we evaluated the B cell response to brain antigens in n = 34 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients treated with glatiramer acetate (GA) using the enzyme-linked immunospot technique (ELISPOT). Our data demonstrate that patients can be subdivided into responders that show brain-specific B cell reactivity in the blood and patients without this reactivity. Only in patients that classified as B cell responders, there was a significant positive correlation between treatment duration and the time since last relapse in our study. This correlation was GA-specific because it was absent in a control group that consisted of interferon-\(\beta\) (IFN-\(\beta\))-treated RRMS patients (n = 23). These data suggest that GA has an effect on brain-reactive B cells in a subset of patients and that only this subset benefits from treatment. The detection of brain-reactive B cells is likely to be a suitable tool to identify drug responders. KW - cortical pathology KW - natural history KW - disability KW - expression KW - antibodies KW - disease KW - lesions KW - trial KW - multiple sclerosis Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148172 VL - 5 IS - 14265 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bail, Kathrin A1 - Notz, Quirin A1 - Rovituso, Damiano M. A1 - Schampel, Andrea A1 - Wunsch, Marie A1 - Koeniger, Tobias A1 - Schropp, Verena A1 - Bharti, Richa A1 - Scholz, Claus-Juergen A1 - Foerstner, Konrad U. A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Kuerten, Stefanie T1 - Differential effects of FTY720 on the B cell compartment in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. JF - Journal of Neuroinflammation N2 - Background: MP4-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), which enables targeted research on B cells, currently much discussed protagonists in MS pathogenesis. Here, we used this model to study the impact of the S1P1 receptor modulator FTY720 (fingolimod) on the autoreactive B cell and antibody response both in the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: MP4-immunized mice were treated orally with FTY720 for 30 days at the peak of disease or 50 days after EAE onset. The subsequent disease course was monitored and the MP4-specific B cell/antibody response was measured by ELISPOT and ELISA. RNA sequencing was performed to determine any effects on B cell-relevant gene expression. S1P\(_{1}\) receptor expression by peripheral T and B cells, B cell subset distribution in the spleen and B cell infiltration into the CNS were studied by flow cytometry. The formation of B cell aggregates and of tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) was evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry. Potential direct effects of FTY720 on B cell aggregation were studied in vitro. Results: FTY720 significantly attenuated clinical EAE when treatment was initiated at the peak of EAE. While there was a significant reduction in the number of T cells in the blood after FTY720 treatment, B cells were only slightly diminished. Yet, there was evidence for the modulation of B cell receptor-mediated signaling upon FTY720 treatment. In addition, we detected a significant increase in the percentage of B220\(^{+}\) B cells in the spleen both in acute and chronic EAE. Whereas acute treatment completely abrogated B cell aggregate formation in the CNS, the numbers of infiltrating B cells and plasma cells were comparable between vehicle- and FTY720-treated mice. In addition, there was no effect on already developed aggregates in chronic EAE. In vitro B cell aggregation assays suggested the absence of a direct effect of FTY720 on B cell aggregation. However, FTY720 impacted the evolution of B cell aggregates into TLOs. Conclusions: The data suggest differential effects of FTY720 on the B cell compartment in MP4-induced EAE. KW - B cells KW - EAE KW - FTY720 KW - fingolimod KW - multiple sclerosis KW - TLO Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-157869 VL - 14 IS - 148 ER -