2022
Reemergence of pathogenic, autoantibody-producing B cell clones in myasthenia gravis following B cell depletion therapy
Fichtner ML, Hoehn KB, Ford EE, Mane-Damas M, Oh S, Waters P, Payne AS, Smith ML, Watson CT, Losen M, Martinez-Martinez P, Nowak RJ, Kleinstein SH, O’Connor K. Reemergence of pathogenic, autoantibody-producing B cell clones in myasthenia gravis following B cell depletion therapy. Acta Neuropathologica Communications 2022, 10: 154. PMID: 36307868, PMCID: PMC9617453, DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01454-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB cell depletion therapyB cell clonesMuSK-MG patientsMyasthenia gravisB cellsMG patientsDepletion therapyCell clonesAutoantibody-producing B cellsMuscle-specific tyrosine kinaseComplete stable remissionB cell receptor repertoireCell receptor repertoireValuable candidate biomarkersB cell receptorMG relapseClinical relapseStable remissionDisease relapseAutoimmune disordersRelapsePatientsAcetylcholine receptorsCandidate biomarkersReceptor repertoire
2021
Elevated N-Linked Glycosylation of IgG V Regions in Myasthenia Gravis Disease Subtypes.
Mandel-Brehm C, Fichtner ML, Jiang R, Winton VJ, Vazquez SE, Pham MC, Hoehn KB, Kelleher NL, Nowak RJ, Kleinstein SH, Wilson MR, DeRisi JL, O'Connor KC. Elevated N-Linked Glycosylation of IgG V Regions in Myasthenia Gravis Disease Subtypes. The Journal Of Immunology 2021, 207: 2005-2014. PMID: 34544801, PMCID: PMC8492536, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100225.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMyasthenia gravisB-cell-mediated autoimmune diseasesBCR repertoireCell-mediated autoimmune diseaseTotal BCR repertoireTotal circulating IgGSubset of patientsB cell repertoireElevated NGene segment usageMG subtypesAutoimmune disordersAutoimmune diseasesHealthy donorsCell repertoireDisease subtypesDistinct subtypesReceptor repertoireAdaptive immune receptor repertoiresV regionsAutoantigen bindingPatientsSegment usageSubtypesImmune receptor repertoires
2020
Single-cell repertoire tracing identifies rituximab-resistant B cells during myasthenia gravis relapses
Jiang R, Fichtner ML, Hoehn KB, Pham MC, Stathopoulos P, Nowak RJ, Kleinstein SH, O'Connor KC. Single-cell repertoire tracing identifies rituximab-resistant B cells during myasthenia gravis relapses. JCI Insight 2020, 5 PMID: 32573488, PMCID: PMC7453893, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136471.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMuscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravisMemory B cellsB cell subsetsAntibody-secreting cellsB cellsCell subsetsAutoantibody-producing B cellsB-cell depleting therapyCell-depleting therapyB cell clonesB cell survivalGene expression signaturesMyasthenia gravisAutoimmune disordersRelapseB cell samplesReceptor profilingCell clonesExpression signaturesRituximabTherapyCell survivalCellsTreatmentCell samples
2019
Early B cell tolerance defects in neuromyelitis optica favour anti-AQP4 autoantibody production
Cotzomi E, Stathopoulos P, Lee CS, Ritchie AM, Soltys JN, Delmotte FR, Oe T, Sng J, Jiang R, K A, Vander Heiden JA, Kleinstein SH, Levy M, Bennett JL, Meffre E, O’Connor K. Early B cell tolerance defects in neuromyelitis optica favour anti-AQP4 autoantibody production. Brain 2019, 142: 1598-1615. PMID: 31056665, PMCID: PMC6536857, DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz106.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeuromyelitis optica spectrum disorderB cell tolerance checkpointsNMOSD patientsNaïve B cellsAQP4 autoantibodiesTolerance checkpointsHealthy donorsB cellsEarly B cell tolerance checkpointsPeripheral B cell tolerance checkpointsMature naïve B cellsB cell tolerance defectsSeropositive NMOSD patientsOptica spectrum disorderRare autoimmune disorderNaïve B-cell compartmentB cell compartmentB cell populationsAquaporin-4 water channelsPathogenic autoantibodiesAutoantibody productionOptic nerveAutoimmune disordersSevere inflammationSpinal cord