AUTHOR=Arevalo-Martin Angel , Grassner Lukas , Garcia-Ovejero Daniel , Paniagua-Torija Beatriz , Barroso-Garcia Gemma , Arandilla Alba G. , Mach Orpheus , Turrero Angela , Vargas Eduardo , Alcobendas Monica , Rosell Carmen , Alcaraz Maria A. , Ceruelo Silvia , Casado Rosa , Talavera Francisco , Palazón Ramiro , Sanchez-Blanco Nuria , Maier Doris , Esclarin Ana , Molina-Holgado Eduardo TITLE=Elevated Autoantibodies in Subacute Human Spinal Cord Injury Are Naturally Occurring Antibodies JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02365 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2018.02365 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in long-term neurological and systemic consequences, including antibody-mediated autoimmunity, which has been related to impaired functional recovery. Here we show that autoantibodies that increase at the subacute phase of human SCI, 1 month after lesion, are already present in healthy subjects and directed against non-native proteins rarely present in the normal spinal cord. The increase of these autoantibodies is a fast phenomenon–their levels are already elevated before 5 days after lesion–characteristic of secondary immune responses, further supporting their origin as natural antibodies. By proteomics studies we have identified that the increased autoantibodies are directed against 16 different nervous system and systemic self-antigens related to changes known to occur after SCI, including alterations in neural cell cytoskeleton, metabolism and bone remodeling. Overall, in the context of previous studies, our results offer an explanation to why autoimmunity develops after SCI and identify novel targets involved in SCI pathology that warrant further investigation.