Myelin flow cytometry assay detects enhanced levels of antibodies to human whole myelin in a subpopulation of multiple sclerosis patients

Antibodies directed against myelin components have been described in multiple sclerosis (MS). Accumulating evidence suggests that pathogenically relevant anti-myelin antibodies bind conformational and post-translationally modified epitopes. However, the current methods to detect anti-myelin antibodies often do not allow recognition of such epitopes. We developed a flow cytometry-based assay to detect antibodies to whole human myelin (including conformational and post-translationally modified epitopes). MS patients (n = 152) showed enhanced serum levels of anti-myelin antibodies (total Ig, IgG and IgM) when compared to healthy donors (HD, n = 40). Strikingly, approximately 50% of MS patients showed enhanced anti-myelin IgG levels. Anti-myelin IgG levels were not correlated with clinical parameters of disease. In the same population, serum antibody responses to recombinant myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein were comparable in MS patients and HD. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.