title: Prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal IgG bands in Greek patients with clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Lower prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal IgG bands (IgG-OCBs) has been reported in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from Southern Europe compared to other western countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the prevalence of CSF OCBs in Greek MS patients and to examine their relation with some selected clinical and demographical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Included patients fulfilled the 2005 McDonald criteria for definite MS (CDMS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and had a spinal tap performed between 2006 and 2010. Paired CSF and plasma samples were analyzed using isoelectric focusing followed by IgG-specific immunofixation. A pattern of two or more bands present only in the CSF was defined as positive. OCB status was correlated with age at disease onset, initial symptomatology, relapse rate, disease subtype, disease duration, medication, EDSS score and MSSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 231 included patients (53.2% with CDMS and 48.6% with CIS) 67.5% had OCBs. The prevalence of positive patterns did not differ between CIS and CDMS patients (67.6% vs. 67.5%, respectively). OCB-positive patients were younger than OCB-negative patients (35.2±10.3 vs. 38.7±11.8 years respectively, p=0.022) and had more frequently cervical spinal cord lesions (x2=7.08, p=0.008). No difference was observed between the two subgroups in the other studied disease parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the lower frequency of positive IgG-OCB patterns in our patients, both subgroups were mostly similar with regard to their clinical and demographic characteristics suggesting that the OCB status lacks prognostic significance in MS.
authors: Department of Neurology, Athens National University, "Aeginition" Hospital, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: eandread@med.uoa.gr.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Andreadou
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Chatzipanagiotou
authors: V C
authors: VC
authors: Constantinides
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rombos
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Stamboulis
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Nicolaou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands
keywords: Cerebrospinal fluid; Isoelectric focusing; Multiple sclerosis; Oligoclonal bands