Event Abstract

Back to Event

Neutrophils as potential biomarkers in the differentiation of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica

Laura Hertwig1, 2*, Nadja Borisow2, Klarissa Stürner3, Bibiane Seeger1, 2, Carmen Infante Duarte1 and Friedemann Paul2
  • 1 Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Medical Immunology, Germany
  • 2 Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center NCRC, Germany
  • 3 University Medical Center-Eppendorf, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), Germany

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human peripheral blood, and provide a first line of defence against bacterial and fungal pathogens. They are known to play a critical role in acute inflammation, but their involvement in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is just about to emerge. The presence of neutrophils is a characteristic feature of lesions in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), but not multiple sclerosis (MS), although both conditions are chronic inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study we aimed to examine the phenotype and functionality of neutrophils in peripheral blood of NMO and MS patients in order to examine the potential for these immune cells to be used in the differentiation and diagnosis of NMO and MS. Preliminary results indicate that neutrophils in both NMO and MS patients show a more primed phenotype compared to healthy controls (HC), based on a higher expression of the surface markers TLR2, CXCR1 and the fMLP receptor. Additionally, MS and NMO patients appear to differ with respect to neutrophil adhesion and migratory capacity, as well as in effector mechanisms such as degranulation and oxidative burst: relative to HC these features are increased in MS patients, but down-regulated in NMO patients. These data highlight the importance of neutrophils as potential cellular markers to discriminate between NMO and MS. Moreover, our results suggest a neutrophilic involvement in the pathogenesis of these two inflammatory conditions.

References

Camous L, Roumenina L, Bigot S, Brachemi S, Frémeaux-Bacchi V, Lesavre P, Halbwachs-Mecarelli L., Complement alternative pathway acts as a positive feedback amplification of neutrophil activation., Blood. 2011 Jan 27;117(4):1340-9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-05-283564. Epub 2010 Nov 9.

McColl SR, Staykova MA, Wozniak A, Fordham S, Bruce J, Willenborg DO., Treatment with anti-granulocyte antibodies inhibits the effector phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis., J Immunol. 1998 Dec 1;161(11):6421-6.

Naegele M, Tillack K, Reinhardt S, Schippling S, Martin R, Sospedra M, Neutrophils in multiple sclerosis are characterized by a primed phenotype., J Neuroimmunol. 2012 Jan 18;242(1-2):60-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2011.11.009. Epub 2011 Dec 9.

Saadoun S, Waters P, MacDonald C, Bell BA, Vincent A, Verkman AS, Papadopoulos MC., Neutrophil protease inhibition reduces neuromyelitis optica-immunoglobulin G-induced damage in mouse brain, Ann Neurol. 2012 Mar;71(3):323-33. doi: 10.1002/ana.22686. Epub 2012 Feb 28.

Tillack K, Breiden P, Martin R, Sospedra M., T lymphocyte priming by neutrophil extracellular traps links innate and adaptive immune responses., J Immunol. 2012 Apr 1;188(7):3150-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1103414. Epub 2012 Feb 20.

Tüzün E, Kürtüncü M, Türkoğlu R, Içöz S, Pehlivan M, Birişik O, Eraksoy M, Akman-Demir G., Enhanced complement consumption in neuromyelitis optica and Behçet's disease patients., J Neuroimmunol. 2011 Apr;233(1-2):211-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2010.11.010. Epub 2011 Jan 6.

Vincent T, Saikali P, Cayrol R, Roth AD, Bar-Or A, Prat A, Antel JP., Functional consequences of neuromyelitis optica-IgG astrocyte interactions on blood-brain barrier permeabilityand granulocyte recruitment., J Immunol. 2008 Oct 15;181(8):5730-7.

Wu F, Cao W, Yang Y, Liu A., Extensive infiltration of neutrophils in the acute phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in C57BL/6 mice. Histochem Cell Biol. 2010 Mar;133(3):313-22. doi: 10.1007/s00418-009-0673-2.

Keywords: Neutrophils, innate immunity, biomarkers, Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica

Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013.

Presentation Type: Abstract

Topic: Innate immunity

Citation: Hertwig L, Borisow N, Stürner K, Seeger B, Infante Duarte C and Paul F (2013). Neutrophils as potential biomarkers in the differentiation of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00945

Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.

The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.

Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.

For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.

Received: 25 Jun 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013.

* Correspondence: Mrs. Laura Hertwig, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Medical Immunology, Berlin, Berlin, 13353, Germany, laura.hertwig@charite.de