title: Immunoblot detection of antibodies to myelin basic protein in Alzheimer's disease patients.
abstract: Based on a suspected pathological relationship of autoimmunity in Alzheimer's disease (AD), antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP) were investigated in the sera of AD patients, healthy controls and disease controls. As detected by the protein-immunoblotting technique at a screening serum dilution of 1:400, sera from 16 of 18 (89%) AD patients were positive for antibodies to MBP. In contrast, sera from only 7 of 90 controls (healthy adults and elderlies, Parkinson's disease patients, mentally-retarded children and Down's syndrome patients) showed a positive reaction. This approximately 11-times higher incidence of antibodies to MBP in AD patients was statistically significant (P < or = 0.0001) and may indicate an autoimmune process in the pathophysiology of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C048139:Coomassie blue