Journal
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
Volume 20, Issue 2, Pages 174-182Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/1352458513494957
Keywords
Multiple sclerosis; natalizumab; MSRV; syncytin-1; HERV-W
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Funding
- Italian Ministry of Health (Ricerca Sanitaria Finalizzata Patogenesi, diagnosi e terapia della sclerosi multipla alla luce di ipotesi emergenti sul ruolo di alterate interazioni tra geni e ambiente nello sviluppo della malattia)
- Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla (FISM) [2010/R/16]
- Fondazione Banco di Sardegna [723/2012-0206]
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Background: Several viruses were reported as co-factors triggering the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), including the endogenous retroviruses of the HERV-W family, that were also proposed as biomarkers of disease progression and therapy outcome. Objective: The objective of this article is to clarify whether in MS patients treatment with natalizumab has effects on MSRV/syncytin-1/HERV-W expression and the possible relationship with disease outcome. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 22 patients with relapsing-remitting disease, at entry and after three, six and 12 months of treatment with natalizumab. The cell subpopulations and the expression of MSRVenv/syncytin-1/HERV-Wenv were analyzed by flow cytometry and by discriminatory env-specific RT-PCR assays. Results: By flow cytometry the relative amounts of T, NK and monocyte subpopulations were shown to remain fairly constant. A relative increase of B lymphocytes was observed at three to six months (p = 0.033). The MSRVenv and syncitin-1 transcripts were reduced at six to 12 months of therapy (p = 0.0001). Accordingly, at month 12, the plasma-membrane levels of the HERV-Wenv protein were reduced (p = 0.0001). B cells, NK and monocytes but not T cells expressed the HERV-Wenv protein. None of the patients relapsed during therapy. Conclusion: Effective therapy with natalizumab downregulates MSRV/syncytin-1/HERV-W expression.
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