Absence of B Cells in Brainstem and White Matter Lesions Associates With Less Severe Disease and Absence of Oligoclonal Bands in MS
Nina L. Fransen, Brigit A. de Jong, Katharina Heß, Tanja Kuhlmann, Maria C. J. Vincenten, Jörg Hamann, Inge Huitinga, Joost Smolders
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether B-cell presence in brainstem and white matter (WM) lesions is associated with poorer pathological and clinical characteristics in advanced MS autopsy cases. METHODS: plasma cells. The presence of these cells was compared with pathological and clinical characteristics. In corresponding CSF and plasma, immunoglobulin (Ig) G ratio and oligoclonal band (OCB) patterns were determined. In a clinical cohort of 73 patients, the presence of OCBs was determined during follow-up and compared to status at diagnosis. RESULTS: < 0.0001) were noted. In a clinical cohort, numbers of patients without OCBs in CSF were increased at follow-up (27.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The absence of B cells is associated with a favorable clinical and pathological profile. This finding may reflect extremes of a continuum of genetic or environmental constitution, but also a regression of WM humoral immunopathology in the natural course of advanced MS.