No Evidence for Production of Intrathecal Immunoglobulin G against <i>Acinetobacter</i> or <i>Pseudomonas</i> in Multiple Sclerosis

Vol. 53, No. 1, 2005

Free Abstract Article (Fulltext) Article (PDF 130 KB)

Original Paper

No Evidence for Production of Intrathecal Immunoglobulin G against Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas in Multiple Sclerosis
Miles D. Chapman, Lucy E. Hughes, Clyde D. Wilson, Simon Namnyak, Edward J. Thompson, Gavin Giovannoni

Department of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Eur Neurol 2005;53:27-31 (DOI: 10.1159/000083715)

Key Words

Acinetobacter
Pseudomonas
Multiple sclerosis
Intrathecal synthesis
Affinity
Oligoclonal IgG

Abstract

The production of oligoclonal, polyspecific immunoglobulin G is characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet no pathogen has been identified as an infectious agent. Recent studies have proposed Acinetobactercalcoaceticus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as candidate organisms, on the basis of a sequence homology between a bacterial enzyme and bovine myelin basic protein. To investigate this, we looked for specific, high-affinity immunoglobulin G against these pathogensin paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid from MS patients compared to other neurological diseases. We found no greater incidence of high-affinity antibodies against the organisms studied in MS vs. other neurological diseases, and so conclude that A. calcoaceticus and P. aeruginosa are unlikely to be implicated in the pathogenesis of MS.

Author Contacts

Miles Chapman
Department of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Neurology
Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG (UK)
Tel. +44 20 7837 3611, ext. 4207, Fax +44 20 7837 8553
E-Mail m.chapman@ion.ucl.ac.uk

Article Information

Received: August 25, 2004
Accepted: December 3, 2004
Published online: February 1, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 17

Medline Abstract (ID 15687729)

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