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AQP4 Antibodies in Lupus

Assessing their effect on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

Publish date:: December 18, 2015

AQP4-antibodies can be present in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and persist for many years, without concurrent clinical or radiological signs of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). This according to a study of sera from 89 patients with non-CNS SLE who were screened for anti-AQP4 autoantibodies. Researchers found:

• 2 of 89 patients were positive.

• Archived samples dating back 11 years were also positive.

• Brain and spinal cord MRIs did not reveal any NMOSD-compatible lesions.

• In vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that either sera or purified IgC from these patients induced complement-mediated damage in cultured astrocytes comparable to antibodies obtained from typical NMO patients.

Citation: Alexopoulos H, Kampylafka EI, Fouka P, et al. Anti-aquaporin-4 autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus persist for years and induce astrocytic cytotoxicity but not CNS disease. J Neuroimmunol. 2015 Dec;289:8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2015.10.007.

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