Frontiers in Neurology (May 2022)

Investigating Serum sHLA-G Cooperation With MRI Activity and Disease-Modifying Treatment Outcome in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

  • Roberta Amoriello,
  • Roberta Rizzo,
  • Alice Mariottini,
  • Daria Bortolotti,
  • Valentina Gentili,
  • Elena Bonechi,
  • Alessandra Aldinucci,
  • Alberto Carnasciali,
  • Benedetta Peruzzi,
  • Anna Maria Repice,
  • Luca Massacesi,
  • Luca Massacesi,
  • Enrico Fainardi,
  • Clara Ballerini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.872396
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is a demyelinating disease in which pathogenesis T cells have a major role. Despite the unknown etiology, several risk factors have been described, including a strong association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. Recent findings showed that HLA class I-G (HLA-G) may be tolerogenic in MS, but further insights are required. To deepen the HLA-G role in MS inflammation, we measured soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) and cytokines serum level in 27 patients with RRMS at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of natalizumab (NTZ) treatment. Patients were divided into high (sHLA-G>20 ng/ml), medium (sHLA-G between 10 and 20 ng/ml), and low (sHLA-G <10 ng/ml) producers. Results showed a heterogeneous distribution of genotypes among producers, with no significant differences between groups. A significant decrease of sHLA-G was found after 24 months of NTZ in low producers carrying the +3142 C/G genotype. Finally, 83.3% of high and 100% of medium producers were MRI-activity free after 24 months of treatment, compared to 63.5% of low producers. Of note, we did not find any correlation of sHLA-G with peripheral cell counts or cytokines level. These findings suggest that serum sHLA-G level may partly depend on genotype rather than peripheral inflammation, and that may have impacted on MRI activity of patients over treatment.

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