B cell function impacts the efficacy of IFN-β therapy in EAE

Recent studies identified that interferon beta (IFN-β) treatment skews B-cells towards a regulatory phenotype in multiple sclerosis. To assess B cell involvement during IFN-β therapy, we compared IFN-β treatment in a B cell-independent model and a B cell-dependent model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We show that in B cell-independent EAE, IFN-β ameliorates neuroinflammation. Conversely, in B cell-dependent EAE, IFN-β has no effect on disease. Effective IFN-β therapy in B cell-independent EAE was associated with reduced inflammatory T cells in the CNS and skewed splenic B cells towards an immature population and away from a germinal center population. These immune cell populations were unchanged in B cell-dependent EAE. Finally, we found that IFN-β increased marginal zone B cells in both EAE models. These findings indicate that B cell function impacts IFN-β efficacy during neuroinflammation.