No association between anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies and serum/cerebrospinal fluid levels of the soluble interleukin-6 receptor complex in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) specific antibodies (abs) are involved in autoantibody-mediated demyelination possibly contributing to lesion development in multiple sclerosis (MS). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been reported to play a crucial role for the pathogenesis of a MOG-induced animal model of MS. To investigate the link between anti-MOG abs production and IL-6 up-regulation in MS we determined the presence of anti-MOG abs and measured concentrations of IL-6 and its soluble receptors (sIL-6RC) in paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of MS patients and serum samples of age-matched healthy controls (HC). Anti-MOG abs were detected in 75% of MS sera, 57% of MS CSF samples and 20% of HC sera. There was no difference in IL-6 and sIL-6RC levels between anti-MOG abs positive and negative samples. Thus, no association between the presence of anti-MOG abs and serum/CSF levels of IL-6/sIL-6RC was found.