Anti-NMDAR2 Autoantikörper als potentielle Biomarker für Fatigue bei Patienten mit rheumatischen Erkrankungen
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Abstract
Fatigue is a widespread and complex symptom with motor and cognitive components;
it is diagnosed predominantly by questionnaire. We recently published a correlation between anti-
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibodies and fatigue in patients with SLE (systemic
lupus erythematosus). In the present study, we examined whether this association also applies
to patients with other rheumatic diseases. Serum samples of 88 patients with different rheumatic
diseases were analyzed for the presence of anti-NR2 antibodies and Neurofilament light chain (NfL)
protein. The severity of fatigue was determined according to the FSMC questionnaire (Fatigue Scale
for Motor and Cognitive Functions) and correlated with the circulating antibody titer and NfL level
accordingly. Positive titers of anti-NR2 antibodies were detected in patients with both autoimmune
and non-autoimmune rheumatic diseases. These patients suffer predominantly from severe fatigue.
The circulating NfL level did not correlate with the anti-NR2 titer and the fatigue severity in all
patient groups. The association of severe fatigue with circulating anti-NR2 antibodies in patients
with rheumatic diseases, independently from the main disease, suggests an individual role of these
autoantibodies in fatigue pathophysiology. Thus, the detection of these autoantibodies might be a
helpful diagnostic tool in rheumatic patients with fatigue.