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【科普】PNAS:日本研究发现视神经脊髓炎病因

PNAS:日本研究发现视神经脊髓炎病因
这一发现为根治视神经脊髓炎带来了希望

日本一个研究小组日前报告说,该小组发现了视神经脊髓炎的一个致病原因。在视神经脊髓炎患者的血液中,特定的淋巴细胞会显著增加,从而产生破坏神经系统细胞的抗体。这一发现为根治视神经脊髓炎带来了希望。

视神经脊髓炎是危及视神经和脊髓的疾病,患者会反复出现视觉障碍、眼部麻痹和疼痛等症状。这些症状与中枢神经系统的难治之症——多发性硬化症类似,所以二者曾被视为同一类疾病。但是随着研究进展,科研人员逐渐认为它们属于不同疾病。

日本国立精神和神经医疗研究中心的山村隆研究员和同事,在新一期美国《国家科学院院刊》(PNAS)网络版上发表论文指出,他们分析了24名视神经脊髓炎患者的血样,发现其中一种名为“PLASMABLAST”的淋巴细胞比正常人和多发性硬化症患者都要多。经研究确认,这种淋巴细胞因受到免疫活性物质IL6的刺激而增多。在IL6免疫活性物质的刺激下,该淋巴细胞还会制造破坏神经系统细胞的“抗水通道蛋白4抗体”,最终引起视神经脊髓炎。

研究小组认为,如能运用药物干扰IL6免疫活性物质,就有望根治视神经脊髓炎。目前,治疗类风湿性关节炎的某种药可以干扰IL6物质,研究小组在实验中发现,这种药的干扰作用的确能导致“PLASMABLAST”淋巴细胞减少。因此,研究小组准备开展临床试验进一步加以分析。

山村隆指出,目前视神经脊髓炎主要利用类固醇药物进行治疗,但疗效不明显,因此详细了解该病的病因和更有针对性的用药,是值得深入研究的课题。 http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/02/09/1017385108.abstract
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory disease affecting the optic nerve and spinal cord, in which autoantibodies against aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channel protein probably play a pathogenic role. Here we show that a B-cell subpopulation, exhibiting the CD19intCD27highCD38highCD180? phenotype, is selectively increased in the peripheral blood of NMO patients and that anti-AQP4 antibodies (AQP4-Abs) are mainly produced by these cells in the blood of these patients. These B cells showed the morphological as well as the phenotypical characteristics of plasmablasts (P and were further expanded during NMO relapse. We also demonstrate that interleukin 6 (IL-6), shown to be increased in NMO, enhanced the survival of PB as well as their AQP4-Ab secretion, whereas the blockade of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) signaling by anti–IL-6R antibody reduced the survival of PB in vitro. These results indicate that the IL-6–dependent B-cell subpopulation is involved in the pathogenesis of NMO, thereby providing a therapeutic strategy for targeting IL-6R signaling. 全文 详见

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作者:admin@医学,生命科学    2011-02-17 17:20
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