Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41482555›Full record

ArticleNature immunology2026

Lymphotoxin-dependent elevated meningeal CXCL13:BAFF ratios drive gray matter injury.

Ikbel Naouar, Andrei Pangan, Michelle Zuo, Syed Ali Raza, Kevin Champagne-Jorgensen, Jyot Patel, Angela Wang, Annie Pu, Lesley Ward, Jennifer S Y Ahn and 12 more

Erratum issuedAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Ikbel NaouarDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Andrei PanganDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Michelle ZuoDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6704-453X
Syed Ali RazaTranslational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4782-2100
Kevin Champagne-JorgensenDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1445-1449
Jyot PatelDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0009-0002-0838-7206
Angela WangDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6991-7368
Annie PuDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lesley WardDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer S Y AhnDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0009-0005-5305-8956
Faizah N SayeedDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jingwen ZhuDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Elisabeth PössneckerDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6271-2404
Shoshana SpringMouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
John G SledMouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bruno CenniNovartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8603-2032
Barbara Nuesslein-HildesheimNovartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Jeffrey L BrowningDepartment of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9168-5233
Anne-Katrin PröbstelDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital of Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7748-1872
Daniel S ReichTranslational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2628-4334
Jennifer L GommermanDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jen.gommerman@utoronto.ca.ORCID 0000-0003-4576-6168
Valeria RamagliaDepartment of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. valeria.ramaglia@uhn.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-9401-5988

Funding

Multimodal MRI in Multiple SclerosisZIANS003119 · NINDS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE · PI REICH, DANIEL · 2010 to 2025
$53.4M
Gouvernement du Canada | Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada | CIHR Skin Research Training Centre (Skin Research Training Centre) 525895Intramural NIH HHS ZIA NS003119Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Société Canadienne de la Sclérose en Plaques) 1423841National Multiple Sclerosis Society (National MS Society) RFA-2203-39259
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In multiple sclerosis (MS), B cell-rich tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) in the brain leptomeninges associate with cortical gray matter injury. Using a model of Th17 cell-driven experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice, we found that inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTKi) prevented TLT formation and cortical pathology in a B cell activating factor (BAFF)-dependent manner. BTKi reduced expression of lymphotoxin ligands, and cotreatment with a lymphotoxin-β receptor agonist abrogated the benefits of BTKi. TLT and cortical pathology tracked with a high CXCL13:BAFF ratio in the leptomeninges, which was reduced by BTKi. Moreover, we observed high CXCL13:BAFF ratios in post mortem cerebral spinal fluid from patients with MS and pathologically confirmed leptomeningeal inflammation, as well as in living patients with MS and radiologically confirmed paramagnetic rim lesions. In summary, using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we revealed a molecular circuit that leads to TLT formation and cortical injury with translational relevance for detection of this pathology in patients with MS.

Indexed as

B-Cell Activating FactorChemokine CXCL13Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, ExperimentalGray MatterLymphotoxin-alphaMeningesMultiple SclerosisAnimalsB-LymphocytesFemaleHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLTertiary Lymphoid StructuresTh17 CellsB-Cell Activating FactorChemokine CXCL13CXCL13 protein, humanCxcl13 protein, mouseLymphotoxin-alphaTNFSF13B protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41482555
PMCPMC12915712

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.