title: Immunological factors in neuronal degeneration with particular reference to motor neurone disease.
abstract: Cellular and humoral immunoreactivity to neuronal antigens was investigated in patients with motor neurone disease (MND). Lymphocytes from patients with MND and normal healthy controls were cultured with a membrane fraction prepared from cultured spinal cord neurones. 4 out of 14 patients with MND and 0 out of 9 normal controls showed a significantly increased stimulation index. An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) was established to detect antibodies to synaptic membrane fraction prepared from human motor cortex. Sera from MND patients showed a significantly increased immunoglobulin binding with respect to normal control sera. Antineuronal antibody production by MND lymphocytes was studied by using Epstein-Barr virus transformation followed by fusion with a mouse myeloma cell line. Antibody-producing clones were isolated. This procedure would allow a more detailed analysis of the antineuronal antibody production in MND.
mesh_terms: D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000276:immunology*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins