The role of N-glycans in regulatory T cells in autoimmunity.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a key role in the maintenance of immune tolerance and in the prevention of autoimmunity. Recent studies have shown an association between decreased Treg frequency and a deficient suppressive activity with the development of many autoimmune diseases. Although glycosylation, which consists in the addition of glycans to proteins and lipids on the cell surface, is recognized as a critical modification for T cell development and function, the relevance of glycans in Treg biology and activity, as well as their impact in the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, deserves more attention, as it is far from being fully understood.

Pregnancy outcomes in aquaporin-4-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Objective: To investigate the association between neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and pregnancy outcome.

Methods: An international cohort of women with aquaporin-4 antibody-positive NMOSD and ≥1 pregnancy was studied retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate whether pregnancy after NMOSD onset was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage (cohort of 40 women) or preeclampsia (cohort of 57 women).

JCV epidemiology in MS (JEMS)--epidemiology of anti-JCV antibody prevalence in multiple sclerosis patients--Portuguese data.

Background: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, caused by oligodendrocyte lytic infection by JCVirus, is a growing concern for patients undergoing immune modulatory therapies for treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The objective of JEMS was to describe the prevalence of anti-JCV antibodies in MS patients and to assess the various factors associated to it.

Methods: Serum samples were collected and tested for anti-JCV antibody using the STRATIFY JCV™ assay in 131 Portuguese MS patients.