title: Cells producing antibodies specific for myelin basic protein region 70-89 are predominant in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Cells secreting antibodies against guinea pig myelin and synthetic myelin basic protein (MBP) peptides were evaluated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a variety of other neurological diseases (OND). The peptides used, reproducing amino acid sequences 1-20, 70-89, 108-126, or 157-166 of MBP, were selected on the basis of their hydrophilic and encephalitogenic properties. Low numbers of cells secreting IgG antibodies against myelin or each of the MBP peptides (about 1 per 50,000) were detected in peripheral blood, with no difference between MS and OND. In CSF, cells secreting IgG antibodies to MBP 70-89 were more frequently (p = 0.007) detected in patients with MS (1/380 IgG-secreting cells on average) than in patients with OND (1/2083 IgG-secreting cells on average). The frequencies of cells secreting antibodies against myelin or the three other MBP peptides were similar in MS and OND. Thus, evaluation of B cell immunity at the cellular level indicates that MBP 70-89 is an immunodominant B cell epitope in MS. It is not clear whether this intrathecal anti-MBP 70-89 IgG antibody response has any pathogenetic relevance in MS or is the result of myelin breakdown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hojeberg
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kostulas
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Link
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides