Lack of confirmation of anti-inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 antibodies as reliable markers of multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis Vol. 20; no. 13; pp. 1699 - 1703
• Main Authors: Nerrant, Elodie, Salsac, Céline, Charif, Mahmoud, Ayrignac, Xavier, Carra-Dalliere, Clarisse, Castelnovo, Giovanni, Goulabchand, Radjiv, Tisseyre, Julie, Raoul, Cédric, Eliaou, Jean-François, Labauge, Pierre, Vincent, Thierry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2014; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Autoantibodies - blood; Autoantibodies - immunology; Autoantigens - immunology; Biomarkers - analysis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Male; Multiple Sclerosis - blood; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying - immunology; diagnosis; Multiple sclerosis; Kir4.1 antibody; biomarker; ELISA
• ISSN: 1352-4585; 1477-0970; 1477-0970
• DOI: 10.1177/1352458514531086

Background: auto-antibodies against the potassium channel inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 (Kir4.1) have previously been identified in 46% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: to confirm these findings. Methods: we evaluated the presence of anti-Kir4.1 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence in 268 MS patients, 46 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 45 healthy controls. Results: anti-Kir4.1 antibodies were found in 7.5% of MS patients, 4.3% of OND patients and 4.4% of healthy controls. Immunofluorescence analysis did not identify any specific staining. Conclusions: we confirmed the presence of anti-Kir4.1 antibodies in MS patients, but at a much lower prevalence than previously reported.