title: Serum BAFF levels, Methypredsinolone therapy, Epstein-Barr Virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in Multiple Sclerosis patients.
abstract: Elevated B lymphocyte activating factor BAFF levels have been reported in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients; moreover, disease-modifying treatments (DMT) have shown to influence blood BAFF levels in MS patients, although the significance of these changes is still controversial. In addition, BAFF levels were reported increased during infectious diseases. In our study, we wanted to investigate on the serum BAFF concentrations correlated to the antibody response against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and their human homologous epitopes in MS and in patients affected with other neurological diseases (OND), divided in Inflammatory Neurological Diseases (IND), Non Inflammatory Neurological Diseases (NIND) and Undetermined Neurological Diseases (UND), in comparison to healthy controls (HCs). Our results confirmed a statistically significant high BAFF levels in MS and IND patients in comparison to HCs but not NIND and UND patients. Interestingly, BAFF levels were inversely proportional to antibodies level against EBV and MAP peptides and the BAFF levels significantly decreased in MS patients after methylprednisolone therapy. These results implicate that lower circulating BAFF concentrations were present in MS patients with humoral response against MAP and EBV. In conclusion MS patients with no IgGs against EBV and MAP may support the hypothesis that elevated blood BAFF levels could be associated with a more stable disease.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mameli
authors.affiliation: Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Via Is Guadazzonis 2, 09126 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cocco
authors.affiliation: Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Via Is Guadazzonis 2, 09126 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frau
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giannina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arru
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caggiu
authors.affiliation: Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Via Is Guadazzonis 2, 09126 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marrosu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sechi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044967:Serum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010455:Peptides; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D011239:Prednisolone