Autoantibodies in Neurological Disease
Numerous autoantibodies types can target different cells and their
components within the nervous system, leading to wide array of symptoms
(Pruss, 2015). For example, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)
autoantibodies target the myelin sheath of axons and induce FcR-mediated
antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (Brilot, 2009). Further,
autoantibodies may target the myelin of the 8thcranial nerve, leading to vestibular dysfunction (Girasoli et al, 2018).
In my case, I had symptoms of tinnitus, vestibular dysfunction such as
dizziness, vertigo, and loss of balance, along with nystagmus and
therefore degraded visual acuity. No hearing loss at any frequency was
observed. The constellation of symptoms suggested that the
vestibulocochlear nerve was targeted, possibly the myelin
(Di Pauli and Berger, 2018).
Autoantibodies against human epithelial cells and endothelial cells have
been found to develop after SARS‐CoV infection (Yang et al, 2005). In my
case, long-term blistering of the gums and mouth cavity has occurred for
many months, and the symptoms spike at times and are correlated with
spikes of the symptoms associated with autoantibodies targeting the
8th cranial nerve. Elevated frequencies of IgD−CD27−
double negative B cells (DN B cells) with pro-inflammatory
characteristics could be triggered because prolonged inflammatory
cytokines, IL-6, IL-15, IL-8 (Frausen et al, 2019). This autoantibody
type has frequently been found proximally at the site of lesions,
including in the brain and CSF of MS patients (Baranzini et al, 1999;
Qin et al, 2003). While the targets of antibodies released from these
cells has not been described, immune reactivity against key myelin
protein types by autoantibodies has been described in autoimmune
patients (Mazón-Cabrera et al, 2019).