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.
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 diseasepatients 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 ALSpatients, 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 ALSpatients, 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.
Authors: M Garcia-Montojo; S Fathi; G Norato; B R Smith; D B Rowe; M C Kiernan; S Vucic; S Mathers; R P A van Eijk; U Santamaria; M-L Rogers; A Malaspina; V Lombardi; P R Mehta; H-J Westeneng; L H van den Berg; A Al-Chalabi; J Gold; A Nath Journal: J Neurol Sci Date: 2021-02-23 Impact factor: 3.181
Authors: Domenico Di Curzio; Mamneet Gurm; Matthew Turnbull; Marie-Josée Nadeau; Breanna Meek; Julia D Rempel; Samuel Fineblit; Michael Jonasson; Sherry Hebert; Jennifer Ferguson-Parry; Renée N Douville Journal: Cells Date: 2020-06-30 Impact factor: 6.600
Authors: Katherine Phan; Ying He; YuHong Fu; Nicolas Dzamko; Surabhi Bhatia; Julian Gold; Dominic Rowe; Yazi D Ke; Lars M Ittner; John R Hodges; Olivier Piguet; Matthew C Kiernan; Glenda M Halliday; Woojin Scott Kim Journal: Commun Med (Lond) Date: 2021-12-09
Authors: Roman Sankowski; Joshua J Strohl; Tomás S Huerta; Elham Nasiri; Andrea N Mazzarello; Cristina D'Abramo; Kai Fan Cheng; Ori Staszewski; Marco Prinz; Patricio T Huerta; Yousef Al-Abed Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2019-12-02 Impact factor: 11.205