BACKGROUND: BAFF (B-cell activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) are two of the major survival factors for B cells. Many studies have shown that BAFF levels were elevated in MSers. However, whether the levels of CSF BAFF/APRIL increased in NMOers was still unclear.
METHODS: CSF BAFF and APRIL was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in NMOers (n = 22), MSers (n = 18) and controls (n = 14).
RESULTS: Concentration of BAFF and APRIL in NMOers were significantly higher than in MSers and controls. CSF BAFF and APRIL levels in controls were also lower than MS. Both NMO and MS revealed an increased disease disability with increased CSF BAFF. CSF APRIL was associated with EDSS scores in NMO, but not found in MSers.
CONCLUSIONS: BAFF/APRIL system considered important for aggressive B cells and T-cell responses, and may stimulates B cells and T cell activation in acute relapse of NMO and MS. In NMOers, CSF BAFF and APRIL may be key factors of B cell immune response and reflect disease severity.
ECTRIMS 2011: B cell targeting can trigger relapses
08 Nov 2011
L. Kappos, H-P. Hartung, M. S. Freedman, A. Boyko, D. Mikol, U. Freudensprung, T. Plitz for the ATAMS study group ATAMS: a randomised trial of the B-cell-targeting agent atacicept in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.
Multiple Sclerosis Research: Research: B cells Abit late Now
29 Mar 2012
It has already been shown that rituximab and ocreluzimab (B cell blocking agents) can inhibit some aspects of MS whilst Atacicept another B cell blocking agent makes MS worse. My old Boss (John Leslie Turk) reported on B …
"Do you think we should continue posting them?"Yes please! Noone is forced to read everything.
Yes, please continue to post them. It gives me hope that things are being analysed and it is educational as well.
Yes, please continue posting using your format of "objective, method, results, conclusion." No one is forced to read anything, indeed.
Yes, do keep posting them – I have bought some immunology texts and refer to them when I don't understand. It's an education, I enjoy the learning.
Yes please keep posting. The immunological research papers are the ones I find most interesting. I often use your posts to look up the articles on PubMed and print them out at work. It has opened a whole universe of reading for me about this disease that plagues me!
Please continue if you have the time. Though I'm one of those who find these posts complicated and usually read only the conclusions etc
Please continue with these research posting, MouseDoctor. I have a few immunology books in my possession, so I can at least catch the gist of what these studies are saying. And anything I don't clearly understand, I can always ask my neuro.
"…fingolimod… all have some anti-B cell activity."I have been wondering… To my knowledge fingolimod targets t-cells, keeping them in the lymph nodes. I haven't heard of any effect on b-cells. Would be curious to learn about the anti-B cell acitivitiy in Fingolimod.
Re: Fingolimod and B cells.There is little doubt that fingolimod traps B cells as well. The following publication from 1999 discusses it in detail.Quesniaux et al. A novel immunosuppressant, FTY720, induces peripheral lymphodepletion of both T- and B cells and immunosuppression in baboons. Transpl Immunol. 1999 Sep;7(3):149-57.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10608298