Decreased Frequency of Circulating Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein B Lymphocytes in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract EN

Although there is no evidence for a role of anti-MOG antibodies in adult MS, no information on B lymphocytes with MOG-committed BCR is available.

We report here on the frequency of anti-MOG B cells forming rosettes with polystyrene beads (BBR) covalently bound to the extracellular domain of rhMOG in 38 relapsing-remitting patients (RRMS) and 50 healthy individuals (HI).

We show a substantial proportion of circulating anti-MOG-BBR in both RRMS and HI.

Strikingly, MOG-specific B cells frequencies were lower in MS than in HI.

Anti-MOG antibodies measured by a cell-based assay were not different between MS patients and controls, suggesting a specific alteration of anti-MOG B cells in MS.

Although anti-MOG-BBR were higher in CNS fluid than in blood, no difference was observed between MS and controls.

Lower frequency of MOG-BBR in MS was not explained by an increased apoptosis, but a trend for lower proliferative capacity was noted.

Despite an efficient B cell transmigration across brain derived endothelial cells, total and anti-MOG B cells transmigration was similar between MS and HI.

The striking alteration in MOG-specific B cells, independent of anti-MOG antibody titers, challenges our view on the role of MOG-specific B cells in MS.