Detection of myelin basic protein in cerebrospinal fluid and serum from patients with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.
BACKGROUND
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the spinal cord and may be a neurological syndrome that is clinically similar to multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin basic protein (MBP) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patents is generally measured by radioimmunoassay. We have recently established a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and measured the MBP concentrations in CSF and serum of HAM/TSP patients.


METHODS
A sensitive two-site ELISA capable of measuring MBP at a concentration as low as 30 pg/mL in serum and CSF samples was used.


RESULTS
Significantly higher CSF MBP concentrations were detected in 61% of HAM/TSP patients than in patients with non-neurological diseases. Serum MBP concentrations were also higher in 9% of HAM/TSP patients compared with patients with non-neurological diseases or healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Using our ELISA system, we detected MBP in CSF and serum not only in patients with central active demyelination as in MS, but also in patients with spinal cord demyelination as in HAM/TSP.
Ohta
Mitsuhiro
M
Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto 616-8255, Japan. mohta@kobepharma-u.ac.jp
Ohta
Kiyoe
K
Nishimura
Masataka
M
Saida
Takahiko
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002417:Cattle; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein