Background and objectives: Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities suggestive of vasogenic edema or sulcal effusion (ARIA-E) are the most common adverse events complicating Alzheimer's disease (AD) immunotherapy with anti-amyloid-beta (Aβ) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). ARIA-E can also occur spontaneously in cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-ri), a rare autoimmune encephalopathy associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of anti-Aβ autoantibodies. Although the pathophysiological mechanisms of ARIA-E remain to be fully elucidated, experimental evidence from ex-vivo studies suggest that gantenerumab and aducanumab enable microglial activation. However, the in vivo evidence for a direct association between neuroinflammation and ARIA-E in patients with high CSF anti-Aβ (auto)antibody levels has never been demonstrated. Methods: Spatial distribution and temporal variations of microglial activation associated with ARIA-E and CSF anti-Aβ autoantibody levels at (sub)acute presentation and after corticosteroid therapy, in a longitudinal case series of patients with CAA-ri, an increasingly recognized spontaneous model of the iatrogenic ARIA-E in AD immunotherapy. Multimodal and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for CAA and ARIA-E quantification, as measured with validated MRI scoring systems; CSF testing for anti-Aβ autoantibodies and AD biomarkers; 11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) for activated microglia. Results: At (sub)acute presentation, we found focal peaks of microglial activation having a greater spatial co-localization with ARIA-E compared to chronic age-related white matter change (ARWMC) imaging abnormalities. The severity of ARIA-E and the magnitude of the associated microglial activation was greater in patients having AD and severe CAA concomitant disease, compared to patients having CAA only. CSF anti-Aβ autoantibodies at presentation were high in all patients and markedly decreased at post-treatment follow-up, in parallel with clinical resolution of acute symptoms, reduced ARIA-E severity, and reduced microglial activation. Discussion: Our findings extend the current notion of ARIA-E by providing the first in vivo 11C-PK11195-PET evidence for an association between microglial activation and the magnitude and severity of ARIA-E in patients with increased CSF concentration of anti-Aβ autoantibodies and comorbid AD and CAA disease..Our results highlight CSF testing for anti-Aβ autoantibodies as a promising diagnostic, prognostic, and therapy response biomarker to help guide future treatment and management decisions in real clinical practice and clinical trials.

Piazza, F., Caminiti, S., Zedde, M., Presotto, L., Difrancesco, J., Pascarella, R., et al. (2022). Association of Microglial Activation With Spontaneous ARIA-E and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Anti-Aβ Autoantibodies. NEUROLOGY, 99(12), 1265-1277 [10.1212/WNL.0000000000200892].

Association of Microglial Activation With Spontaneous ARIA-E and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Anti-Aβ Autoantibodies

Piazza, Fabrizio
Primo
;
Presotto, Luca;DiFrancesco, Jacopo C.;Sessa, Maria;Basso, Gianpaolo
Penultimo
;
2022

Abstract

Background and objectives: Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities suggestive of vasogenic edema or sulcal effusion (ARIA-E) are the most common adverse events complicating Alzheimer's disease (AD) immunotherapy with anti-amyloid-beta (Aβ) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). ARIA-E can also occur spontaneously in cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-ri), a rare autoimmune encephalopathy associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of anti-Aβ autoantibodies. Although the pathophysiological mechanisms of ARIA-E remain to be fully elucidated, experimental evidence from ex-vivo studies suggest that gantenerumab and aducanumab enable microglial activation. However, the in vivo evidence for a direct association between neuroinflammation and ARIA-E in patients with high CSF anti-Aβ (auto)antibody levels has never been demonstrated. Methods: Spatial distribution and temporal variations of microglial activation associated with ARIA-E and CSF anti-Aβ autoantibody levels at (sub)acute presentation and after corticosteroid therapy, in a longitudinal case series of patients with CAA-ri, an increasingly recognized spontaneous model of the iatrogenic ARIA-E in AD immunotherapy. Multimodal and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for CAA and ARIA-E quantification, as measured with validated MRI scoring systems; CSF testing for anti-Aβ autoantibodies and AD biomarkers; 11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) for activated microglia. Results: At (sub)acute presentation, we found focal peaks of microglial activation having a greater spatial co-localization with ARIA-E compared to chronic age-related white matter change (ARWMC) imaging abnormalities. The severity of ARIA-E and the magnitude of the associated microglial activation was greater in patients having AD and severe CAA concomitant disease, compared to patients having CAA only. CSF anti-Aβ autoantibodies at presentation were high in all patients and markedly decreased at post-treatment follow-up, in parallel with clinical resolution of acute symptoms, reduced ARIA-E severity, and reduced microglial activation. Discussion: Our findings extend the current notion of ARIA-E by providing the first in vivo 11C-PK11195-PET evidence for an association between microglial activation and the magnitude and severity of ARIA-E in patients with increased CSF concentration of anti-Aβ autoantibodies and comorbid AD and CAA disease..Our results highlight CSF testing for anti-Aβ autoantibodies as a promising diagnostic, prognostic, and therapy response biomarker to help guide future treatment and management decisions in real clinical practice and clinical trials.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
ARIA, Amyloid, antibody, CAA, CSF, biomarkers, immunotherapy, Alzheimer
English
8-ago-2022
2022
99
12
1265
1277
open
Piazza, F., Caminiti, S., Zedde, M., Presotto, L., Difrancesco, J., Pascarella, R., et al. (2022). Association of Microglial Activation With Spontaneous ARIA-E and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Anti-Aβ Autoantibodies. NEUROLOGY, 99(12), 1265-1277 [10.1212/WNL.0000000000200892].
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Piazza-2022-Neurology-VoR.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Research Article
Tipologia di allegato: Publisher’s Version (Version of Record, VoR)
Dimensione 1.35 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.35 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/389967
Citazioni
  • Scopus 28
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 25
Social impact