M. Hirotani, M. Niino and H. Sasaki Pages 3215 - 3222 ( 8 )
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Although most studies have emphasized the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of MS, increasing evidence supports the concept that B cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of MS, mainly in association with the deposition of antibodies and the activation of complement. Emerging pathophysiological findings of B-cell, follicle-like structures in the meninges of patients and observations of decreased interleukin (IL)-10 production from naive B cells in MS have recently been reported. As more knowledge is gained of the pathophysiology of B cells in MS, the mechanisms of B-cell-mediated neuropharmacology of current therapy had been clarified as well. In this article, we review the increasing evidence that points to a link between B cells and MS, and also discuss the potential of B-cell-targeted therapy in MS.
Multiple sclerosis,B cells,Autoantibody,Complement activation,Rituximab
, , Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-8638 Japan.