<i>Clostridium bolteae</i> is elevated in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in India and shares sequence similarity with AQP4
Lekha Pandit, Laura M. Cox, Chaithra Malli, Anitha D’Cunha, Timothy B. Rooney, Hrishikesh Lokhande, Valerie Willocq, Shrishti Saxena, Tanuja Chitnis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To understand the role of gut microbiome in influencing the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) among patients of south Indian origin. METHODS: T cells were sorted in 12 healthy controls, and in 12 patients with AQP4+ NMOSD, RNA was extracted and immune gene expression was analyzed using the NanoString nCounter human immunology kit code set. RESULTS: correlated with expression of inflammatory genes associated with both innate and adaptive immunities and particularly involved in plasma cell differentiation, B cell chemotaxis, and Th17 activation. CONCLUSION: associated with AQP4+ NMOSD among Indian patients. It is possible that this organism may be causally related to the immunopathogenesis of this disease in susceptible individuals.