Cerebrospinal fluids containing anti-HSP70 autoantibodies from multiple sclerosis patients augment HSP70-induced proinflammatory cytokine production in monocytic cells

Anti-heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) autoantibodies are found in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from patients with multiple sclerosis. These autoantibodies cross-reacted not only with HSP70 and heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70). but also with a bacterial homologue, DnaK. CSF with a high anti-HSP70 autoantibody titer enhanced HSP70-induced proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production in the human monocytic cell line, THP-1. Thus. anti-HSP70 autoantibodies in the CSF of multiple sclerosis patients may play a pathophysiological role in enhancing inflammation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.