Increased cerebrospinal fluid metalloproteinase-2 and interleukin-6 are associated with albumin quotient in neuromyelitis optica: Their possible role on blood-brain barrier disruption.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Inflammation in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is triggered by a serum antibody against the aquaporin-4 (AQP4). This process requires antibody penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but the mechanisms for BBB disruption in NMO remain unknown.

OBJECTIVE:

We examined whether changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and cytokines are associated with BBB disruption in NMO.

METHODS:

The concentrations 9 MMPs, 4 TIMPs, and 14 cytokines were measured by multiplex assay in CSF and serum samples from 29 NMO patients, 29 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and 27 patients with other neurological disorders. We also performed immunohistochemistry for MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression in post-mortem brain tissues from NMO patients.

RESULTS:

NMO patients exhibited significantly elevated MMP-2, TIMP-1, interleukin-6, and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio in CSF (but not sera) than the other groups. The CSF/serum albumin ratio, an index of BBB permeability, was most strongly correlated with CSF MMP-2 concentration, which in turn correlated with CSF interleukin-6 levels. Immunohistochemistry revealed MMP-2- and TIMP-1-positive cells surrounding vessels in NMO lesions.

CONCLUSION:

In NMO, increased CSF MMP-2, likely induced by interleukin-6 signaling, may disrupt the BBB and enable serum anti-AQP-4 antibodies migration into the central nervous system (CNS).

• Authors: Tomohiko Uchida, Masahiro Mori, Akiyuki Uzawa, Hiroki Masuda, Mayumi Muto, Ryohei Ohtani, Satoshi Kuwabara
• Journal: Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) (Mult Scler) Vol. 23 Issue 8 Pg. 1072-1084 (Jul 2017) ISSN: 1477-0970 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27682231 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Albumins
• Aquaporin 4
• Autoantibodies
• IL6 protein, human
• Interleukin-6
• MMP2 protein, human
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 2

Topics

• Adult
• Albumins (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Aquaporin 4 (cerebrospinal fluid, immunology)
• Autoantibodies (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Blood-Brain Barrier
• Female
• Humans
• Interleukin-6 (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Male
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Middle Aged
• Neuromyelitis Optica (cerebrospinal fluid, pathology)