Multiple sclerosis serum and cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin binding to fc receptors of oligodendrocytes

Abstract

Suspensions of bovine oligodendrocytes were used to study the immunofluorescent staining properties of sera from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and normal individuals. All sera (14 MS patients, 8 patients with other neurological diseases, and 11 normal individuals) showed positive oligodendrocyte staining by indirect immunofluorescence. Staining persisted after extensive absorption of sera with bovine liver to remove nonspecific binding. Similar findings were obtained for cerebrospinal fluid from all 5 MS patients as well as all 5 patients with other neurological diseases. In additional studies to determine if binding is mediated by the Fc fragment of IgG, results were: (1) ultracentrifuged normal and MS sera failed to react with oligodendrocytes, (2) positive staining with oligodendrocytes was observed after heat aggregation of IgG, (3) ox red blood cells, complexed with antibody, reacted with oligodendrocytes to produce strong rosette formation, and (4) the rosette formation could be blocked by prior treatment of oligodendrocytes with heat-aggregated IgG. The studies fail to support a previous claim for specific binding of immunoglobulins to oligodendrocytes in MS. However, they confirm and extend previous findings that the binding of IgG to oligodendrocytes may not necessarily be an antigen-antibody reaction. Therefore, adherence reactions with a putative antibody must exclude Fc-mediated binding.

Oligodendrocytes and the Immune System

“…Human OGCs, in apparent contrast to rodent OGCs, do not express receptors for complement (Scolding et al, 1989). Our data also suggest they do not express receptors for the Fe portion of the Ig molecule, although contrary reports exist (Ma et al, 1980). Ovine OGCs are reported to be able to present antigen or mitogen to human T cells (Cashman and Noronha, 1986).…”

Appearance of hematogenous cells in the white matter of myelin-deficient Jimpy mice.

“…Lymphocytes obtained from the patients of multiple sclerosis responded well to the cultured oligodendrocytes (TRAUGOTT et al, 1981). On this view-point, BEN-NUN and COHEN (1982) , 1978;JOHNSON et al, 1979;MA et al, 1981;BROWN et al, 1982) and the removal of the antiserum led to a rapid remyelination (GRoss et al, 1983). Providing that oligodendrocytes in Jimpy mice produce antigenic lipoproteins incorporating into parts of the plasma membrane, the mesaxons and oligodendrocytes might become the targets of the sensitized lymphocytes or antibodies.…”

Thymosin β4 is a shared antigen between lymphoid cells and oligodendrocytes of normal human brain

“…The biological action of thymosins a1 and a7 differs from that of p4 in that thymosin a1 induces the maturation of helper T cells and thymosin a 7 affects the development of suppressor T cells, whereas thymosin p4 affects the early stages of Tcell differentiation, induces terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in thymocytes, and inhibits the migration of macrophages {17, 18,291. Nonspecific Fc binding of the antithymosin PL, to the Fc receptors of oligodendrocytes is unlikely because ( 1) cells immunoreacted specifically only with antithymosin f3.i but not with the other antisera to thymic peptides, (2) nonspecific Fc binding of immunoglobulin to nervous tissue does not occur using PAP on paraffin-embedded formaldehydefixed tissues 19, 241, and (3) Fc receptors are also present in astrocytes [19] that did not immunoreact with antithymosin p4. Furthermore, contrary to their pres-ence in bovine and rat oligodendrocytes, Fc receptors have not yet been demonstrated on human oligodendrocytes 1191.…”