Increased leptin and A-FABP levels in relapsing and progressive forms of MS

BACKGROUND: Leptin and adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) are produced by white adipose tissue and may play a role in chronic inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). To assess leptin and A-FABP in relapsing and progressive forms of MS. METHODS: Adipokine levels were measured in untreated adult relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS) and Healthy control (HC). Pediatric-onset MS (POMS) and pediatric healthy controls (PHC) were also assessed. Leptin and A-FABP levels were measured in serum by ELISA. Groups were compared using linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Excluding two patients with Body Mass Index (BMI) > 50, a significant difference in leptin level was found between RRMS and HC controlling for age (p = 0.007), SPMS and HC controlling for age alone (p = 0.002), or age and BMI (p = 0.007). A-FABP levels were higher in SPMS than HC (p = 0.007), controlling for age and BMI. Differences in A-FABP levels between POMS and PHC was observed after controlling for age (p = 0.019), but not when BMI was added to the model (p = 0.081). CONCLUSION: Leptin and A-FABP levels are highest in SPMS compared to HC, suggesting a role in pathogenesis of this disease subtype. A-FABP levels are increased in POMS patients and may play a role in the early stages of disease

Transcriptional signature of human pro-inflammatory TH17 cells identifies reduced IL10 gene expression in multiple sclerosis

We have previously reported the molecular signature of murine pathogenic TH17 cells that induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in animals. Here we show that human peripheral blood IFN-γ+IL-17+ (TH1/17) and IFN-γ−IL-17+ (TH17) CD4+ T cells display distinct transcriptional profiles in high-throughput transcription analyses. Compared to TH17 cells, TH1/17 cells have gene signatures with marked similarity to mouse pathogenic TH17 cells. Assessing 15 representative signature genes in patients with multiple sclerosis, we find that TH1/17 cells have elevated expression of CXCR3 and reduced expression of IFNG, CCL3, CLL4, GZMB, and IL10 compared to healthy controls. Moreover, higher expression of IL10 in TH17 cells is found in clinically stable vs. active patients. Our results define the molecular signature of human pro-inflammatory TH17 cells, which can be used to both identify pathogenic TH17 cells and to measure the effect of treatment on TH17 cells in human autoimmune diseases

Comprehensive evaluation of serum microRNAs as biomarkers in multiple sclerosis

Objective: To identify circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) linked to disease stage and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Sera from 296 participants including patients with MS, other neurologic diseases (Alzheimer disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and asthma) and healthy controls (HCs) were tested. miRNA profiles were determined using LNA (locked nucleic acid)-based quantitative PCR. Patients with MS were categorized according to disease stage and disability. In the discovery phase, 652 miRNAs were measured in sera from 26 patients with MS and 20 HCs. Following this, significant miRNAs (p < 0.05) from the discovery set were validated using quantitative PCR in 58 patients with MS, 30 HCs, and in 74 samples from other disease controls (Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis). Results: We validated 7 miRNAs that differentiate patients with MS from HCs (p < 0.05 in both the discovery and validation phase); miR-320a upregulation was the most significantly changing serum miRNA in patients with MS. We also identified 2 miRNAs linked to disease progression, with miR-27a-3p being the most significant. Ten miRNAs correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale of which miR.199a.5p had the strongest correlation with disability. Of the 15 unique miRNAs we identified in the different group comparisons, 12 have previously been reported to be associated with MS but not in serum. Conclusions: Our findings identify circulating serum miRNAs as potential biomarkers to diagnose and monitor disease status in MS. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that circulating serum miRNAs can be used as biomarker for MS

Association Between Serum MicroRNAs and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures of Multiple Sclerosis Severityle

IMPORTANCE MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising multiple sclerosis (MS) biomarkers. Establishing the association between miRNAs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of disease severity will help define their significance and potential impact. OBJECTIVE To correlate circulating miRNAs in the serum of patients with MS to brain and spinal MRI. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional study comparing serum miRNA samples with MRI metrics was conducted at a tertiary MS referral center. Two independent cohorts (41 and 79 patients) were retrospectively identified from the Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Expression of miRNA was determined by locked nucleic acid-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to test the association between miRNA and brain lesions (T2 hyperintense lesion volume [T2LV]), the ratio of T1 hypointense lesion volume [T1LV] to T2LV [T1: T2]), brain atrophy (whole brain and gray matter), and cervical spinal cord lesions (T2LV) and atrophy. The study was conducted from December 2013 to April 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES miRNA expression. RESULTS Of the 120 patients included in the study, cohort 1 included 41 participants (7 [17.1%] men), with mean (SD) age of 47.7 (9.5) years; cohort 2 had 79 participants (26 [32.9%] men) with a mean (SD) age of 43.0 (7.5) years. Associations between miRNAs and MRIs were both protective and pathogenic. Regarding miRNA signatures, a topographic specificity differed for the brain vs the spinal cord, and the signature differed between T2LV and atrophy/destructive measures. Four miRNAs showed similar significant protective correlations with T1: T2 in both cohorts, with the highest for hsa. miR.143.3p (cohort 1: Spearman correlation coefficient r(s) = -0.452, P =.003; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.225, P =.046); the others included hsa. miR. 142.5p (cohort 1: r(s) = -0.424, P =.006; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.226, P =.045), hsa. miR. 181c. 3p (cohort 1: r(s) = -0.383, P =.01; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.222, P =.049), and hsa. miR. 181c. 5p (cohort 1: r(s) = -0.433, P =.005; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.231, P =.04). In the 2 cohorts, hsa. miR. 486.5p (cohort 1: r(s) = 0.348, P =.03; cohort 2: r(s) = 0.254, P =.02) and hsa. miR. 92a. 3p (cohort 1: r(s) = 0.392, P =.01; cohort 2: r(s) = 0.222, P =.049) showed similar significant pathogenic correlations with T1: T2; hsa. miR. 375 (cohort 1: r(s) = -0.345, P =.03; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.257, P =.022) and hsa. miR. 629.5p (cohort 1: r(s) = -0.350, P =.03; cohort 2: r(s) = -0.269, P =.02) showed significant pathogenic correlations with brain atrophy. Although we found several miRNAs associated with MRI outcomes, none of these associations remained significant when correcting for multiple comparisons, suggesting that further validation of our findings is needed. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Serum miRNAs may serve as MS biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and act as surrogate markers to identify underlying disease processes

"HIT on Trousseau" double trouble: acquired coagulopathy with femoral artery thrombosis

Trousseau Syndrome is a paraneoplastic procoagulant phenomenon. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare complication of anticoagulation with heparin. To our knowledge, the coincidence of the two has not been reported so far. We report a case of an acute thrombosis of the left femoral artery and distal leg arteries in a patient with an otherwise normal cardiovascular status. Endovascular revascularization attempts using mechanical rotational thrombectomy catheter, aspiration and local thrombolysis were unsuccessful. Progressive coagulation along the intra-arterial catheter was seen. Surgical thrombectomy of the femoral-pedal axis was successful, but the patient developed an immune-mediated HIT postoperatively. An adenocarcinoma of the colon was the likely cause for the initial arterial thrombosis, and probably adversely affected endovascular revascularization attempts. Subsequent HIT with microvascular thrombosis worsened ischemic damage leading to a below knee-amputation, despite patent large vessels. Compared to venous thrombosis, arterial thrombosis is a rare manifestation of Trousseau syndrome. The coincidence of it with HIT is even rarer. There may be a causal relationship between the two