Presence and relevance of serum anti-C1P IgG antibodies in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

There is a growing interest in the role of sphingolipids in the background of multiple sclerosis (MS). The goal of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of antibodies against ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) subclasses and their relationships with clinical status in MS.The study groups comprised 39 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 26 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 12 healthy subjects (HS). Anti-C1P IgG levels in serum were determined using ELISA test. Levels of anti-C18:0-C1P and anti-C24:1-C1P IgG were significantly increased (p = 0.0005; p < 0.0001, respectively) in RRMS compared to HS, while anti-C16:0-C1P and anti-C24:0-C1P IgG – significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in RRMS compared to OND. Validation by ROC and cluster analysis confirmed the ability of these anti-C1P IgG panels to discriminate between the study groups. In addition, level of anti-C24:1-C1P IgG was significantly lower (p = 0.0448) in RRMS patients with relapse than in those with remission. No relationships were found between levels of antibodies in the anti-C1P IgG panel in RRMS group and disease duration, degree of disability or Link index.These findings highlight the relevant role of C1P as a target and/or mediator of autoimmune response in MS and potential value of anti-C1P antibodies as biomarkers in differential diagnosis of this disease.