title: Antibodies to myelin basic protein and measles virus in multiple sclerosis: precursor frequency analysis of the antibody producing B cells.
abstract: Antibody-producing B lymphocytes were polyclonally activated and transformed, by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), into multiple B lymphoblastoid cell lines in a microculture system. The frequencies of B precursor cells producing antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP) and measles virus were analyzed in peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and control subjects. Measles virus-specific B cells were detected at a significantly higher frequency in MS patients (n = 10, P less than 0.005) than patients with other neurological diseases (n = 10) and normal subjects (n = 10). In contrast, the frequencies of B cells producing anti-MBP antibodies and natural antibodies did not differ statistically among the three groups tested (P greater than 0.05). In addition, the anti-MBP antibodies produced by a panel of stable B cell lines obtained were found to react selectively with an epitope(s) within the C-terminal half fragment 90-171 of the human MBP molecule. In our experiments, no antibody cross-reactivity between MBP and measles virus could be detected in a total of 2760 B cell cultures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Dr L. Willems Instituut, Universitaire Campus, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jingwu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henderikx
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medaer
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Raus
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009109:Mumps virus / Q000276:immunology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid