title: Antibody responses to Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in multiple sclerosis: prospects for diagnosis using the myelin-acinetobacter-neurofilament antibody index.
abstract: Antibody responses to Acinetobacter (five strains), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, myelin basic protein (MBP), and neurofilaments were measured in sera from 26 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 20 patients with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), 10 patients with viral encephalitis, and 25 healthy blood donors. In MS patients, elevated levels of antibodies against all strains of Acinetobacter tested were present, as well as antibodies against P. aeruginosa, MBP, and neurofilaments, but not antibodies to E. coli, compared to the CVA group and controls. The myelin-Acinetobacter-neurofilament antibody index appears to distinguish MS patients from patients with CVAs or healthy controls. The relevance of such antibodies to the neuropathology of MS requires further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Infection and Immunity Group, Division of Life Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonell
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Natt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiwana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebringer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chamoun
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Croker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vowles
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000276:immunology*; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins