title: Correlation of the IgG index and oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between IgG index values and the number of the oligoclonal IgG bands (OCB) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The set of 150 patients consisted of 41 males and 109 females (aged 18-68, mean 36.6 +/- 10.1 years). The CSF collected by a lumbar puncture was examined evaluating intrathecal synthesis using the IgG index and determining OCB. The number of alkaline OCB in the CSF was assessed using the method of isoelectric focusing. Pearson's correlation analysis, and homogeneity chi(2) test, Mann-Whitney test, paired-sample t-test (parametric) and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test (nonparametric) were used to evaluate the statistical significance of the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No positive correlation between the IgG index and the number of OCB was found. Mann-Whitney test also failed to demonstrate any significant difference of the IgG index values in patients both with the OCB number > or = 2 and < 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not confirm any correlation between the IgG index values and the OCB number in the CSF of MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic. maresja@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mares
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herzig
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urbanek
authors.forename: Vladimira
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sladkova
authors.forename: Jaroslava
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sklenarova
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bekarek
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schneiderka
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zapletalova
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kanovsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands