A possible paradox in the immunology of multiple sclerosis: its apparent lack of 'specificity' might provide clues to the etiology.
As a further development from an earlier hypothesis, a pathogenic role of polyspecific natural, idiotypically connected antibodies is claimed, that recognize concomitantly a variety of CNS antigens and are matured to some degree to higher-affinity anti-CNS antibodies without ever losing their network association. On that basis, nitrophenol-carrier conjugates well-known to be foreign target antigens of natural antibodies and present in food commodities that have epidemiological links to MS, are considered as paradigmatic for agents of possible etiologic importance.
Department of Neurology, Academic Teaching Hospital, Darmstadt, Germany.
K
K
Lauer
D001324:Autoantigens; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000276:immunology
D001324:Autoantigens; D009596:Nitrophenols