Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41645334›Full record

ArticleActa neuropathologica communications2026

B-cell abundance in perivascular cuffs associates with local lesion activity in multiple sclerosis.

Hendrik J Engelenburg, Esmée Westenbrink, Eline Runderkamp, Ana M Marques, Marvin M van Luijn, Cheng-Chih Hsiao, Inge Huitinga, Jörg Hamann, Joost Smolders

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta neuropathologica communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Hendrik J EngelenburgNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.engelenburg@nin.knaw.nl.
Esmée WestenbrinkNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eline RunderkampNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ana M MarquesDepartment of Immunology, MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Marvin M van LuijnDepartment of Immunology, MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Cheng-Chih HsiaoNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Inge HuitingaNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jörg HamannNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Joost SmoldersNeuroimmunology Research Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.j.f.m.smolders@erasmusmc.nl.

Funding

HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council 101137235Nationaal MS fonds OZ2018-003Stichting MS Research 22-1168
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Perivascular aggregations of leukocytes, referred to as perivascular cuffs, are a pathological phenomenon in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Perivascular cuffing is an exaggerated form of compartmentalized inflammation present in progressive disease. By studying traits of perivascular cuffs, this study aims to elucidate processes within the perivascular niche of the MS brain. We characterized n = 255 MS donors from the Netherlands Brain Bank for the presence of perivascular cuffs and investigated their association with clinical and pathological donor characteristics. Furthermore, we examined the proportional abundance of different cell types and functional markers in n = 457 perivascular cuffs present in different lesion stages within a cohort of n = 18 MS brain donors. MS donors with detected perivascular cuffs (25.5%) showed a higher brainstem lesion count. Within these cuffs, there was a relative increase of CD4+ compared to CD8+ T cells, and a higher B-cell abundance in active and mixed active/inactive MS lesions specifically. All perivascular cuffs were inflammatory active (TNF, PCNA, HLA) and contained antibody-secreting cells, which correlated with the presence of CD4+ T cells. In a different cohort, CNS-isolated viable B cells tested positive for EBV with qPCR (6/6 MS donors). In these donors, EBV/LMP-1+ B cells were detected in the meninges. In the cuffing cohort, LMP-1+ B cells were only present sparsely (13/122 perivascular cuffs of 6/11 donors). Lastly, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) was abundant in B cells and macrophages within all perivascular cuffs. Our comprehensive characterization of perivascular cuffs in advanced MS links them with disease severity and supports a local interaction between CD4+ T and B cells to be associated with lesion presence. Our data indicate that this can happen irrespective of local EBV presence, and supports the targetability of perivascular cuffs by brain-penetrating BTK inhibitors.

Indexed as

B-LymphocytesBrainMultiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Chronic ProgressiveAdultAgedCD4-Positive T-LymphocytesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedB cellsBTKEBVMultiple sclerosisPerivascular cuffsT cells

Identifiers

PMID41645334
PMCPMC13019733

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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.