title: Soluble BAFF Level Is Not Correlated to Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Antibodies and Increases After Interferon-β Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.
abstract: B cells are being recognized as one of the major players in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The B cell activating factor (BAFF) system plays an essential role in B cell homeostasis and function in the periphery. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has been previously associated to MS in Sardinia. Antibodies against a MAP surface protein, MAP_2694, have been found significantly associated to MS patients, and this response was modified by interferon-β therapy. Increased BAFF levels following IFN-β therapy have been also described in MS patients. In this study, we evaluated whether soluble BAFF levels are comparable in men and women affected by MS and performed a correlation of the reported BAFF increase in MS patients under IFN-β therapy with changes of humoral response against MAP_2694. For these reasons, we investigated 44 MS patients before and after IFN-β therapy. A significant difference of BAFF levels was found between men and women with MS; moreover, we confirmed that IFN-β therapy strongly induces BAFF serum levels, but this was not related to the modification of immunological response against MAP_2694. In conclusion, our study highlights that IFN-β therapy induces the potent B cell survival factor BAFF without alterations of the humoral immune response against MAP.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mameli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cossu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caggiu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Università di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, 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, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niegowska
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: 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, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy. sechila@uniss.it.
authors.forename: Leonardo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sechi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000276:immunology*; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D007155:Immunologic Factors; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D016899:Interferon-beta
keywords: BAFF; Interferon beta; MAP 2964; Men; Multiple sclerosis; Women