Are anti-brain antibodies in multiple sclerosis directed to myelin basic protein? Studies employing the Shiverer mouse mutant.
The dysmyelinating mouse mutant Shiverer has a severe and relatively selective deficiency of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the central and peripheral nervous system. Nevertheless, Shiverer brain and control-mouse brain showed similar antigenic titers when tested by a complement fixation assay against a panel of 14 multiple sclerosis (MS) sera and 6 MS CSF samples known to represent several specificities of antibrain antibodies. By analogy with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, a sensitization to MBP has been proposed in MS. Our results, however, show that antibodies to other CNS antigens are quantitatively more important in this disease.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000032:analysis
D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D003165:Complement System Proteins