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. 2018 Aug;25(8):1076-e84.
doi: 10.1111/ene.13648. Epub 2018 May 14.

Humoral immunity response to human endogenous retroviruses K/W differentiates between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurological diseases

G Arru  1 , G Mameli  2 , G A Deiana  1 , A L Rassu  1 , R Piredda  1 , E Sechi  1 , E Caggiu  2 , M Bo  2 , E Nako  1 , D Urso  1 , S Mariotto  3 , S Ferrari  3 , G Zanusso  3 , S Monaco  3 , G Sechi  1 , L A Sechi  2
Affiliations

Humoral immunity response to human endogenous retroviruses K/W differentiates between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurological diseases

G Arru et al. Eur J Neurol. 2018 Aug.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) K/W seem to play a role in fostering and exacerbation of some neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Given these findings, the immunity response against HERV-K and HERV-W envelope surface (env-su) glycoprotein antigens in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was investigated for ALS, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease patients and in healthy controls.

Methods: Four antigenic peptides derived respectively from HERV-K and HERV-W env-su proteins were studied in 21 definite or probable ALS patients, 26 possible or definite relapsing-remitting MS patients, 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 39 healthy controls. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was set up to detect specific antibodies (Abs) against env-su peptides.

Results: Amongst the measured levels of Abs against the four different HERV-K peptide fragments, only HERV-K env-su19-37 was significantly elevated in ALS compared to other groups, both in serum and CSF. Instead, amongst the Abs levels directed against the four different HERV-W peptide fragments, only HERV-W env-su93-108 and HERV-W env-su248-262 were significantly elevated, in the serum and CSF of the MS group compared to other groups. In ALS patients, the HERV-K env-su19-37 Abs levels were significantly correlated with clinical measures of disease severity, both in serum and CSF.

Conclusions: Increased circulating levels of Abs directed against the HERV-W env-su93-108 and HERV-W env-su248-262 peptide fragments could serve as possible biomarkers in patients with MS. Similarly, increased circulating levels of Abs directed against the HERV-K env-su19-37 peptide fragment could serve as a possible early novel biomarker in patients with ALS.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; HERV-K; HERV-W; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; humoral immunity; multiple sclerosis.

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