Soluble complement receptor type 1 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmunity: A Veiled Relationship

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory illness that affects the central nervous system (CNS) when the body's immune system attacks its tissue. It is characterized by demyelination and varying degrees of axonal loss. This article has compiled various studies elaborating MS and other autoimmune diseases (ADs) co-occurrence. Several conditions that fall into this category, including type 1 diabetes (T1D), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), myasthenia gravis (MG), and many others, are found in MS patients and their relatives, suggesting one or more common etiologic mechanisms, including genetic, environmental, and immunological factors, supporting the concept of a possible influence of poly-autoimmunity on MS and the rest of ADs, as well as providing a significant feature for early detection of the disease and also a potential treatment option by clinical neurologists.

Co-Occurrence of Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis: A Rare Case Report

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune demyelinating disorders of the peripheral and central nervous systems, respectively. The co-occurrence of these 2 conditions is rare in the literature. Herein, we present a rare case of GBS and MS in a 19-year-old female who presented initially with GBS followed by MS, and we provide a literature review. Despite being rare, it should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of patients with atypical and usual presentation of both diseases.

What does complement do in Alzheimer's disease? Old molecules with new insights

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory and immune components in brain are important in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and anti-inflammatory and immunotherapeutic approaches may be amenable to AD treatment. It is known that complement activation occurs in the brain of patients with AD, and contributes to a local inflammatory state development which is correlated with cognitive impairment. In addition to the complement's critical role in the innate immune system recognizing and killing, or targeting for destruction, complement proteins can also interact with cell surface receptors to promote a local inflammatory response and contributes to the protection and healing of the host. On the other hand, complement activation also causes inflammation and cell damage as an essential immune function to eliminate cell debris and potentially toxic protein aggregates. It is the balance of these seemingly competing events that influences the ultimate state of neuronal function. Our mini review will be focusing on the unique molecular interactions happening in the AD development, the functional outcomes of those interactions, as well as the contribution of each element to AD.

Cytometric profiling in various clinical forms of multiple sclerosis with respect to CD21+, CD32+, and CD35+ B and T cells

Background

We aimed to evaluate the frequency of various types of B and T cells expressing CD21, CD32, and CD35 in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical courses.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell from 30 MS patients (17 relapsing remitting [RRMS], six secondary progressive [SPMS], and seven primary progressive MS [PPMS]) and 18 healthy subjects were analyzed. All patients were in acute attack. Healthy controls were matched for age and gender ratio. The frequencies of various subsets of B and T cells were determined using flow cytometry.

Results

The frequency of CD4⁺T cells was lower in MS patients compared to control subjects (41.14 ± 9.45% vs. 46.88 ± 6.98%, respectively, P < 0.05). The CD32⁺ fraction of CD4⁺T cells and the CD21⁺ fraction of CD8⁺T cells were higher in MS patients (2.85 ± 3.72% vs. 1.06 ± 0.62% for CD32⁺CD4⁺T cells, 2.71 ± 1.86% vs. 1.16 ± 0.99% for CD21⁺CD8⁺T cells in MS patients and control subjects, respectively, P < 0.05). After dividing subjects by type of MS course, higher values of these two T cell subsets were found in SPMS patients compared to control subjects (P < 0.05). Further, RRMS patients had lower levels of CD32⁺CD4⁺T cells than SPMS patients and also they had lower levels of CD32⁺CD8⁺T cells than PPMS patients (P < 0.05). However, neither the expression of CD35 on T cells nor the various B cell subsets were statistically different between the compared groups.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that T cell subsets expressing CD21 and CD32 may differ with respect to the presence or clinical forms of MS disease. By contrast, CD35⁺T cells and different subsets of B cells are not altered in various MS clinical courses.

Linkage of multiple sclerosis and guillain-barre syndrome: a population-based survey in isfahan, iran

Background. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) are autoimmune demyelinating disorders of Central and Peripheral Nervous system, respectively. The coexistence of these two syndromes in an individual's life span is rare. Objectives. To inspect throughout Isfahan MS society (IMSS) records for MS cases who had history of documented GBS whether before the onset of MS or after it. Methods. This retrospective survey was carried out by analyzing the clinical records of 3,522 MS patients who were registered with IMSS, from April 2003 to July 2010. Eligible cases were requested to attend to IMSS for final clinical/paraclinical examinations. Results. Among 3,522 (2,716 women and 806 men) MS subjects, we could identify seven patients (six females and one male) with documented diagnosis of GBS. Six patients (five women and one man) had developed MS within 6.5 ± 7.0 (range: 1–16) years after being diagnosed with GBS and one (a woman) had developed GBS three years after the diagnosis of MS. Conclusion. It seems that the development of MS in individuals with history of GBS is more than a simple incidental event.

Expression of the EGF-TM7 receptor CD97 and its ligand CD55 (DAF) in multiple sclerosis

CD97 is a recently identified seven-span transmembrane (7-TM) protein that is expressed by leukocytes early after activation. CD97 binds to its cellular ligand CD55 (decay accelerating factor), which protects several cell types from complement-mediated damage. The functional consequences of CD97-CD55 binding are largely unknown, but previous data imply that CD97-CD55 interactions play a role in cellular activation, migration, and adhesion under inflammatory conditions. Here we examined the expression of CD97 and CD55 by immunohistochemistry in multiple sclerosis (MS). On the basis of established criteria for inflammation and demyelination, different lesion stages were distinguished in MS post-mortem brain tissue. In normal white matter, CD97 expression was not found, but CD55 was expressed with weak staining intensity on endothelial cells. In pre-active lesions, defined by abnormalities of the white matter, many infiltrating T cells, macrophages (MPhi) and microglia expressed CD97. CD55 was highly expressed by endothelial cells. In active lesions with myelin degradation, MPhi and microglia expressed both CD55 and CD97. Furthermore, a sandwich ELISA showed significantly (p<0.05) elevated levels of soluble CD97 in serum but not in cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients (37%) compared to healthy controls (8%).Collectively, these data suggest that CD97-CD55 interactions are involved in the inflammatory processes in MS. CD55, which is expressed in lesions by vessels to protect against complement-mediated damage, might bind to CD97 on infiltrating leukocytes. This interaction may facilitate cell activation and migration through the blood-brain barrier. In addition, CD97-CD55 interactions in the parenchyma of the brain may contribute to the inflammation.

The C3b/C4b receptor (CR1, CD35) on erythrocytes: methods for study of the polymorphisms

This report is devoted to methodologies used in analyzing the C3b/C4b receptor (CR1, CD35) on erythrocytes (E), its soluble form, the CRI structural or allotype polymorphism, and CR1 density polymorphism. In primates E CR1 serves as the main system for processing and clearance of complement opsonized immune complexes (IC). CR1 copy numbers decrease with aging of E in normal individuals. Erythrocyte CR1 is also decreased in pathological conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), HIV infection, certain hemolytic anemias, and many other conditions featuring immune complexes. Consequently, CRI on E has an important physiological role in immune complex handling and has interesting alterations in disease.