Immune dysfunction in Rett syndrome patients revealed by high levels of serum anti-N(Glc) IgM antibody fraction

J Immunol Res. 2014:2014:260973. doi: 10.1155/2014/260973. Epub 2014 Oct 15.

Abstract

Rett syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting exclusively (99%) female infants, is associated with loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) and, more rarely, cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) and forkhead box protein G1 (FOXG1). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the function of the immune system by measuring serum immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) in RTT patients (n = 53) and, by comparison, in age-matched children affected by non-RTT pervasive developmental disorders (non-RTT PDD) (n = 82) and healthy age-matched controls (n = 29). To determine immunoglobulins we used both a conventional agglutination assay and a novel ELISA based on antibody recognition by a surrogate antigen probe, CSF114(Glc), a synthetic N-glucosylated peptide. Both assays provided evidence for an increase in IgM titer, but not in IgG, in RTT patients relative to both healthy controls and non-RTT PDD patients. The significant difference in IgM titers between RTT patients and healthy subjects in the CSF114(Glc) assay (P = 0.001) suggests that this procedure specifically detects a fraction of IgM antibodies likely to be relevant for the RTT disease. These findings offer a new insight into the mechanism underlying the Rett disease as they unveil the possible involvement of the immune system in this pathology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Agglutination Tests / methods
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Glycopeptides / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immune System / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology*
  • Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Rett Syndrome / blood
  • Rett Syndrome / genetics
  • Rett Syndrome / immunology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • FOXG1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Glycopeptides
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • MECP2 protein, human
  • Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • CDKL5 protein, human