Levels and avidities of antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies in patients with thrombotic events and immunologically-mediated diseases

Aims. Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) represent one type of antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) directed against the neutral phospholipids - phosphatidylethanolamines. The aim of this study was to evaluate levels and avidities of aPE in several groups of patients and compare them with conventional aPLs. Methods. aPE were analysed in a cohort consisting of 68 hospitalized patients. The other cohort comprised 22 patients with immunologically-mediated diseases. The control group consisted of 20 healthy persons. ELISA methods were used for determination of aPL. Avidities of aPE were tested by modified ELISA with urea as a chaotropic agent. Results. aPE IgG/IgM were significantly higher in the group of patients with venous thromboembolism than those with non-thrombotic internal disorders (P=0.02 for both Ig classes). aPE IgG/IgM elevated above cut-off values were found in 10.8% of patients with venous thromboembolism and as a single aPL in 6.5%. Levels of aPE IgG higher than our limit (>6 U/mL) were detected in 29% of patients with immunologically-mediated diseases with other positive aPL. Low-, intermediate- and high-avidity aPE IgG were found in patients of both cohorts. The avidities of aPE IgG differed from those of anticardiolipin antibodies IgG. Neither aPE IgG levels nor avidity dynamics significantly changed during follow-up. Conclusion. aPE may be related to venous thromboembolism and may be part of the repertoire of aPL in immunologically-mediated diseases. There are patients with thrombosis negative for conventional aPL but positive for aPE. aPE IgG may have different avidities

CSF Markers of Oxidative Stress Are Associated with Brain Atrophy and Iron Accumulation in a 2-Year Longitudinal Cohort of Early MS

In this prospective longitudinal study, we quantified regional brain volume and susceptibility changes during the first two years after the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and identified their association with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers at baseline. Seventy patients underwent MRI (T1 and susceptibility weighted images processed to quantitative susceptibility maps, QSM) with neurological examination at the diagnosis and after two years. In CSF obtained at baseline, the levels of oxidative stress, products of lipid peroxidation, and neurofilaments light chain (NfL) were determined. Brain volumetry and QSM were compared with a group of 58 healthy controls. In MS patients, regional atrophy was identified in the striatum, thalamus, and substantia nigra. Magnetic susceptibility increased in the striatum, globus pallidus, and dentate and decreased in the thalamus. Compared to controls, MS patients developed greater atrophy of the thalamus, and a greater increase in susceptibility in the caudate, putamen, globus pallidus and a decrease in the thalamus. Of the multiple calculated correlations, only the decrease in brain parenchymal fraction, total white matter, and thalamic volume in MS patients negatively correlated with increased NfL in CSF. Additionally, negative correlation was found between QSM value in the substantia nigra and peroxiredoxin-2, and QSM value in the dentate and lipid peroxidation levels