Purpose: Multiple Sclerosis is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease characterised by blood-brain barrier dysfunction and leukocyte infiltration into the CNS. Platelets are best known for their contributions to haemostasis, however, upon activation, platelets release an abundance of soluble and vesicular-associated proteins, termed the platelet releasate (PR). This milieu contains numerous inflammatory and vasoactive proteins, that can attract leukocytes and alter endothelial permeability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany forms of autoimmune encephalitis are mediated by neuronal cell-surface directed autoantibodies. The co-occurrence of four neuronal cell-surface antibodies in a single patient is exceptionally rare. We report a patient who had a severe encephalitis associated with antibodies to NMDA, Glycine, GABA and GABA receptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an effective treatment for people with highly-active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), who are not adequately responding to disease-modifying therapies. To date, research has predominantly focused on disease-specific outcome measures. There is a lack of research exploring patient experiences of this complex treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF