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Chain JL, Alvarez K, Mascaro-Blanco A, Reim S, Bentley R, Hommer R, Grant P, Leckman JF, Kawikova I, Williams K, Stoner JA, Swedo SE, Cunningham MW. Autoantibody Biomarkers for Basal Ganglia Encephalitis in Sydenham Chorea and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated With Streptococcal Infections. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:564. [PMID: 32670106 PMCID: PMC7328706 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement, behavioral, and neuropsychiatric disorders in children have been linked to infections and a group of anti-neuronal autoantibodies, implying dopamine receptor-mediated encephalitis within the basal ganglia. The purpose of this study was to determine if anti-neuronal biomarkers, when used as a group, confirmed the acute disease in Sydenham chorea (SC) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). IgG autoantibodies against four neuronal autoantigens (tubulin, lysoganglioside GM1, and dopamine receptors D1 and D2) were detected in SC sera (N=8), sera and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from two groups of PANDAS cases (N=25 first group and N=35 second group), sera from Tourette's syndrome (N=18), obsessive-compulsive disorder (N=25), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (N=18), and healthy controls (N=28) by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG specific for neuronal autoantigens was significantly elevated during the acute symptomatic phase, and the activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) pathway was significantly elevated in human neuronal cells. Five assays confirmed the disease in SC and in two groups of children with PANDAS. In 35 acute onset PANDAS patients, 32 sera (91.4%) were positive for one or more of the anti-neuronal autoantibodies compared with 9 of 28 healthy controls (32.1%, p<0.0001). Importantly, CSF of 32 (91.4%) PANDAS patients had one or more detectable anti-neuronal autoantibody titers and CaMKII activation. Among healthy control subjects with elevated serum autoantibody titers for individual antigens, none (0%) were positively associated with elevated positive CaMKII activation, which was a striking contrast to the sera of PANDAS subjects, who had 76-89% positive association with elevated individual autoantibody titers and positive CaMKII activity. At 6 months follow-up, symptoms improved for more than 80% of PANDAS subjects, and serum autoantibody titers also significantly decreased. Results reported herein and previously published studies in our laboratory suggest the antibody biomarkers may be a useful adjunct to clinical diagnosis of SC, PANDAS, and related disorders and are the first known group of autoantibodies detecting dopamine receptor-mediated encephalitis in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Chain
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Kathy Alvarez
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Adita Mascaro-Blanco
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Sean Reim
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Rebecca Bentley
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Rebecca Hommer
- Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Paul Grant
- Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - James F. Leckman
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ivana Kawikova
- Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kyle Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Julie A. Stoner
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Susan E. Swedo
- Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Madeleine W. Cunningham
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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Cox CJ, Zuccolo AJ, Edwards EV, Mascaro-Blanco A, Alvarez K, Stoner J, Chang K, Cunningham MW. Antineuronal antibodies in a heterogeneous group of youth and young adults with tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2015; 25:76-85. [PMID: 25658702 PMCID: PMC4340634 DOI: 10.1089/cap.2014.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Antineuronal antibodies have been implicated in tic and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) associated with group A streptococcal infections. We investigated antineuronal autoantibody levels as well as antibody-mediated neuronal cell signaling activity, as previously reported for Sydenham chorea and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococci (PANDAS), to determine immunological profiles for a large cohort of children with tics and/or OCD. METHODS Study participants (n=311; ages 4-27 years, 66% male) were selected from a larger group of individuals with self-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms (n=742) and included only those with accurate knowledge of group A streptococcal infection status, except for four individuals in whom streptococcal infection status was unknown. Healthy control samples (n=16; ages 5-14 years, 81% male), came from the National Institute of Mental Health and Yale University. In addition to serum donations, participants and/or legal guardians provided neuropsychiatric and related medical histories of symptoms that had lasted >1 year. Antineuronal immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers were measured by standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared with mean titers of normal age-matched sera against lysoganglioside, tubulin, and dopamine receptors (D1R and D2R). Antibody-mediated signaling of calcium calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity in a human neuronal cell line (SK-N-SH) was tested in serum. RESULTS Of 311 individuals, 222 (71%) had evidence of group A streptococcal infection, which was associated with tics and/or OCD status (p=0.0087). Sera from individuals with tics and/or OCD (n=261) had evidence of elevated serum IgG antibodies against human D1R (p<0.0001) and lysoganglioside (p=0.0001), and higher serum activation of CaMKII activity (p<0.0001) in a human neuronal cell line compared with healthy controls (n=16). Furthermore, patients with tics and OCD had significantly increased activation of CaMKII activity compared with patients with only tics or only OCD (p<0.033 for each). CONCLUSION Our study suggested a significant correlation of streptococcal-associated tics and OCD with elevated anti-D1R and antilysoganglioside antineuronal antibodies in serum concomitant with higher activation of CaMKII in human neuronal cells. Youth and young adults with chronic tics and OCD may have underlying infectious/immunologic etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol J. Cox
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Amir J. Zuccolo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Erica V. Edwards
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Adita Mascaro-Blanco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Kathy Alvarez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Julie Stoner
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Kiki Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, PANS Clinic and Research Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Madeleine W. Cunningham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Lotan D, Benhar I, Alvarez K, Mascaro-Blanco A, Brimberg L, Frenkel D, Cunningham MW, Joel D. Behavioral and neural effects of intra-striatal infusion of anti-streptococcal antibodies in rats. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 38:249-62. [PMID: 24561489 PMCID: PMC4000697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Group A β-hemolytic streptococcal (GAS) infection is associated with a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. The leading hypothesis regarding this association proposes that a GAS infection induces the production of auto-antibodies, which cross-react with neuronal determinants in the brain through the process of molecular mimicry. We have recently shown that exposure of rats to GAS antigen leads to the production of anti-neuronal antibodies concomitant with the development of behavioral alterations. The present study tested the causal role of the antibodies by assessing the behavior of naïve rats following passive transfer of purified antibodies from GAS-exposed rats. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) purified from the sera of GAS-exposed rats was infused directly into the striatum of naïve rats over a 21-day period. Their behavior in the induced-grooming, marble burying, food manipulation and beam walking assays was compared to that of naïve rats infused with IgG purified from adjuvant-exposed rats as well as of naïve rats. The pattern of in vivo antibody deposition in rat brain was evaluated using immunofluorescence and colocalization. Infusion of IgG from GAS-exposed rats to naïve rats led to behavioral and motor alterations partially mimicking those seen in GAS-exposed rats. IgG from GAS-exposed rats reacted with D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and 5HT-2A and 5HT-2C serotonin receptors in vitro. In vivo, IgG deposits in the striatum of infused rats colocalized with specific brain proteins such as dopamine receptors, the serotonin transporter and other neuronal proteins. Our results demonstrate the potential pathogenic role of autoantibodies produced following exposure to GAS in the induction of behavioral and motor alterations, and support a causal role for autoantibodies in GAS-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafna Lotan
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itai Benhar
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Kathy Alvarez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Adita Mascaro-Blanco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Lior Brimberg
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Diseases, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Dan Frenkel
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Madeleine W. Cunningham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Daphna Joel
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Ellis NMJ, Kurahara DK, Vohra H, Mascaro-Blanco A, Erdem G, Adderson EE, Veasy LG, Stoner JA, Tam E, Hill HR, Yamaga K, Cunningham MW. Priming the immune system for heart disease: a perspective on group A streptococci. J Infect Dis 2010; 202:1059-67. [PMID: 20795820 DOI: 10.1086/656214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Although immune responses against group A streptococci and the heart have been correlated with antibodies and T cell responses against cardiac myosin, there is no unifying hypothesis about carditis caused globally by many different serotypes. Our study identified disease-specific epitopes of human cardiac myosin in the development of rheumatic carditis in humans. We found that immune responses to cardiac myosin were similar in rheumatic carditis among a small sample of worldwide populations, in which immunoglobulin G targeted human cardiac myosin epitopes in the S2 subfragment hinge region within S2 peptides containing amino acid residues 842-992 and 1164-1272. An analysis of rheumatic carditis in a Pacific Islander family confirmed the presence of potential rheumatogenic epitopes in the S2 region of human cardiac myosin. Our report suggests that cardiac myosin epitopes in rheumatic carditis target the S2 region of cardiac myosin and are similar among populations with rheumatic carditis worldwide, regardless of the infecting group A streptococcal M serotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia M J Ellis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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Mascaro-Blanco A, Alvarez K, Yu X, Lindenfeld J, Olansky L, Lyons T, Duvall D, Heuser JS, Gosmanova A, Rubenstein CJ, Cooper LT, Kem DC, Cunningham MW. Consequences of unlocking the cardiac myosin molecule in human myocarditis and cardiomyopathies. Autoimmunity 2008; 41:442-53. [PMID: 18781470 DOI: 10.1080/08916930802031579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Myocarditis, often initiated by viral infection, may progress to autoimmune inflammatory heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Although cardiac myosin is a dominant autoantigen in animal models of myocarditis and is released from the heart during viral myocarditis, the characterization, role and significance of anti-cardiac myosin autoantibodies is poorly defined. In our study, we define the human cardiac myosin epitopes in human myocarditis and cardiomyopathies and establish a mechanism to explain how anti-cardiac myosin autoantibodies may contribute to heart disease. We show that autoantibodies to cardiac myosin in sera from myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathies in humans targeted primarily epitopes in the S2 hinge region of cardiac myosin. In addition, anti-cardiac myosin antibodies in sera or purified IgG from myocarditis and cardiomyopathy targeted the beta-adrenergic receptor and induced antibody-mediated cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) cell signaling activity in heart cells. Antibody-mediated PKA activity in sera was abrogated by absorption with anti-human IgG. Antibody-mediated cell signaling of PKA was blocked by antigen-specific inhibition by human cardiac myosin or the beta-adrenergic receptor but not the alpha adrenergic receptor or bovine serum albumin. Propranolol, a beta blocker and inhibitor of the beta-adrenergic receptor pathway also blocked the antibody-mediated signaling of the beta-adrenergic receptor and PKA. The data suggest that IgG antibody against human cardiac myosin reacts with the beta-adrenergic receptor and triggers PKA signaling in heart cells. In summary, we have identified a new class of crossreactive autoantibodies against human cardiac myosin and the beta-adrenergic receptor in the heart. In addition, we have defined disease specific peptide epitopes in the human cardiac myosin rod S2 region in human myocarditis and cardiomyopathy as well as a mechanistic role of autoantibody in the pathogenesis of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adita Mascaro-Blanco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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