Correlation between antibodies against the pathogenic pHERV-W envelope protein and the inflammatory phase of multiple sclerosis

This study aimed to investigate the humoral response to syncytin-1 and pHERV-W-derived peptides in a group of relapsing remitting MS patients categorized as having acute or stable disease. Furthermore, an inhibition assay was conducted to assess the extent of cross-reactivity between the two epitopes. The findings revealed that MS patients in the acute phase exhibited a higher specific antibody response to the pHERV-W env epitope compared to syncytin-1. This suggests a potential pathogenic role for pHERV-W env during the inflammatory stages of central nervous system involvement, and these antibody responses could serve as useful biomarkers for monitoring the progression of the disease.PMID:37985008 | DOI:10.1111/imm.13712
Source: Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Source Type: research