The Role of Antibodies in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
July 29, 2022, 10:24 a.m.
The presence of persistent intrathecal oligoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) bands (OCBs) and lesional IgG deposition are seminal features of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathology. Despite extensive investigations, the role of antibodies, the products of mature CD19+ B cells, in disease development is still controversial and under significant debate. Recent success of B cell depletion therapies has revealed that CD20+ B cells contribute to MS pathogenesis via both antigen-presentation and T-cell-regulation. However, the limited efficacy of CD20+ B cell depletion therapies for the treatment of progressive MS indicates that additional mechanisms are involved. In this review, we present findings suggesting a potential pathological role for increased intrathecal IgGs, the relation of circulating antibodies to intrathecal IgGs, and the selective elevation of IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses in MS.