B cells of multiple sclerosis patients induce autoreactive proinflammatory T cell responses

Publication date: Available online 4 October 2016
Source:Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Judith Fraussen, Nele Claes, Bart Van Wijmeersch, Jack van Horssen, Piet Stinissen, Raymond Hupperts, Veerle Somers
Antibody-independent B cell functions play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. In this study, B cell antigen presentation and costimulation in MS were studied. Peripheral blood B cells of MS patients showed increased expression of costimulatory CD86 and CD80 molecules compared with healthy controls (HC). In MS cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 12-fold and 2-fold increases in CD86⁺ and CD80⁺ B cells, respectively, were evidenced compared with peripheral blood. Further, B cells from MS patients induced proinflammatory T cells in response to myelin basic protein (MBP), in contrast to B cells of HC. Immunomodulatory treatment restored B cell costimulatory molecule expression and caused significantly reduced B cell induced T cell responses. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of B cells from MS patients to induce autoreactive proinflammatory T cell responses. Immunomodulatory therapy abrogated this effect, emphasizing the importance of B cell antigen presentation and costimulation in MS pathology.



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