2019
Early B cell tolerance defects in neuromyelitis optica favour anti-AQP4 autoantibody production
Cotzomi E, Stathopoulos P, Lee CS, Ritchie AM, Soltys JN, Delmotte FR, Oe T, Sng J, Jiang R, K A, Vander Heiden JA, Kleinstein SH, Levy M, Bennett JL, Meffre E, O’Connor K. Early B cell tolerance defects in neuromyelitis optica favour anti-AQP4 autoantibody production. Brain 2019, 142: 1598-1615. PMID: 31056665, PMCID: PMC6536857, DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz106.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeuromyelitis optica spectrum disorderB cell tolerance checkpointsNMOSD patientsNaïve B cellsAQP4 autoantibodiesTolerance checkpointsHealthy donorsB cellsEarly B cell tolerance checkpointsPeripheral B cell tolerance checkpointsMature naïve B cellsB cell tolerance defectsSeropositive NMOSD patientsOptica spectrum disorderRare autoimmune disorderNaïve B-cell compartmentB cell compartmentB cell populationsAquaporin-4 water channelsPathogenic autoantibodiesAutoantibody productionOptic nerveAutoimmune disordersSevere inflammationSpinal cord
2017
Autoantibody-producing plasmablasts after B cell depletion identified in muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis
Stathopoulos P, Kumar A, Nowak RJ, O’Connor K. Autoantibody-producing plasmablasts after B cell depletion identified in muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis. JCI Insight 2017, 2: e94263. PMID: 28878127, PMCID: PMC5621905, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.94263.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnimalsAutoantibodiesB-LymphocytesCohort StudiesFemaleHumansImmunologic FactorsLymphocyte DepletionMaleMiceMiddle AgedMyasthenia GravisReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicRecurrenceRemission InductionRituximabTumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7ConceptsB-cell depletionMuSK-MG patientsMyasthenia gravisCell depletionMG patientsAutoantibody productionDisease relapseB cellsB-cell-mediated autoimmune disordersMuscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravisAntigen-driven affinity maturationCell-mediated autoimmune disordersMuscle-specific tyrosine kinaseAChR myasthenia gravisAutoantibody-producing plasmablastsMuSK myasthenia gravisRituximab-induced remissionSustained clinical improvementB cell compartmentMuSK autoantibodiesClinical improvementPathogenic autoantibodiesSuch relapsesSerum autoantibodiesClinical features