Given their localization and important role in regulating complement, complement regulatory proteins may act as target antigens and their antibodies as biomarkers in demyelinating neuropathies. We investigated the binding of autoantibodies to complement regulatory proteins (CD46, 55 and 59) in demyelinating diseases. In 42 acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, 23 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, 13 acute motor axonal neuropathy, 71 multiple sclerosis, and 19 neuromyelitis optica patients as well as 55 healthy controls, we were unable to detect significant titers of antibodies to CD46, CD55 and CD59. These autoantibodies are unlikely to be biomarkers in acute and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies.
Tetraspanin family proteins, CD9, CD81 and CD82 are expressed in the oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. We investigated autoantibodies to tetraspanin proteins in patients with demyelinating diseases. Sera were collected from 119 multiple sclerosis patients, 19 neuromyelitis optica, 42 acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, 23 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and 13 acute motor axonal neuropathy as well as 55 healthy controls. Few multiple sclerosis and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy patients had autoantibodies that were weakly reactive to CD9 or CD81 but the significance is unclear. It is unlikely that these autoantibodies are pathogenic or serve as potential biomarkers in demyelinating diseases.
Ezrin, radixin and moesin, which are strongly expressed in the Schwann cell microvilli, are putative targets for autoantibodies in acute or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP or CIDP). An association between anti-moesin IgG antibodies and cytomegalovirus-related AIDP has been postulated. None of 41 AIDP patients, including 8 cytomegalovirus-related AIDP patients, and 23 CIDP had IgG or IgM antibodies to ezrin, radixin and moesin; whereas, one patient with cytomegalovirus-related AIDP had anti-ezrin IgM antibodies. Ezrin, radixin and moesin are unlikely targets for autoantibodies in AIDP and CIDP, and the association of anti-moesin antibodies with cytomegalovirus-related AIDP was not confirmed.