Expression of vesicle-associated membrane-protein-associated protein B cleavage products in peripheral blood leukocytes and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background and purposeVesicle-associated membrane-protein-associated protein B (VAPB) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident protein participating in ER function, vesicle trafficking, calcium homeostasis and lipid transport. Its N-terminal domain, named MSP, is cleaved and secreted, serving as an extracellular ligand. VAPB mutations are linked to autosomal-dominant motor neuron diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) type 8. An altered VAPB function is also suspected in sporadic ALS (SALS). MethodsThe expression pattern of VAPB cleavage and secreted products in the peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of SALS patients and neurological controls was assessed. PBL from healthy controls were also analyzed. Assays were carried out through western blotting, using an anti-VAPB (N-terminal) antibody. ResultsTwo VAPB fragments containing the MSP domain (17kDa and 14kDa molecular sizes) were identified in PBL of SALS and controls, with no significant differences amongst groups. In CSF, only the 14kDa VAPB MSP fragment was expressed and a corresponding VAPA fragment was not detected. The CSF VAPB fragment was absent in 58.7% of SALS patients, of whom 79.2% were bulbar onset (P=0.001, bulbar versus spinal). ConclusionsThe absence of the CSF VAPB MSP fragment from most bulbar-onset SALS patients suggests a specific alteration of brain-derived VAPB cleavage and secretion in this group of patients, and hints at a role of VAPB in the pathophysiology of this motor neuron disease.