AUTHOR=Klose Veronika , Jesse Sarah , Lewerenz Jan , Kassubek Jan , Dorst Johannes , Tumani Hayrettin , Ludolph Albert C. , Roselli Francesco 

TITLE=CSF oligoclonal IgG bands are not associated with ALS progression and prognosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1170360

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2023.1170360

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive motoneuron degeneration through cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous mechanisms; and the involvement of the innate and adaptive immune system has been hypothesized based on human and murine model data. We have explored if B-cell activation and IgG responses, as detected by IgG Oligoclonal bands (OCB) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, were associated with ALS or with a subgroup of patients with distinct clinical features. We found that the prevalence of IgG OCB is comparable in ALS and four neurological cohorts (tension-type headache, idiopathic facial palsy, Alzheimer´s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment).  When the OCB pattern was considered (highlighting either intrathecal or systemic B-cells activation), no effect of OCB pattern on clinic-demographic parameters and overall. ALS patients with intrathecal IgG synthesis (type 2 and 3) were more likely to display infectious, inflammatory or systemic autoimmune conditions. These data suggest that OCB are not related to ALS pathophysiology but rather are a finding possibly indicative a coincidental infectious or inflammatory comorbidity that merits further investigation.