M R Mizen | PubMed Health

PubMed1978

Complement-dependent serum: neuroelectric blocking activity in multiple sclerosis.

In attempting to discover a relationship between the neurologic and immunologic abnormalities in multiple sclerosis, we found a serum factor that inhibits the ventral root response in isolated, perfused frog spinal cords. This effect is correlated with disease activity. Blocking activity of the serum was lost by heating to 56 degrees C, restored by adding complement, and was found in the serum IgG fraction. There was no correlation of neuroelectric blocking activity with measles complement-fixing antibody. An antibody other than that to measles virus may thus have a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Lymphocyte subpopulations in multiple scerlosis: comparison with neuroelectric blocking activity.

Lymphocyte subpopulations were determined in patients with confirmed multiple sclerosis using a new technique in which immunoglobulin bearing (lg+) cells are rosetted directly with purified anti-light chain antibody-coated human erythrocytes, while T cells are first sensitized with specific anti-human thymus antisera prepared in b4b4 rabbits, and then indirectly rosetted with purified anti-rabbit light chain allotype antibody-coated human erythrocytes. In 45 percent of the patients, there was a striking decrease in the percentage of T lymphocytes and a reciprocal elevation of lg+ and N cells. In another 20 percent, T cell depression was not accompanied by Ig+ elevation. The remaining 35 percent had normal lymphocyte profiles as did all patients with nondemyelinating neurologic diseases. However, we found no significant correlation between the lymphocyte profiles and prospective clinical evaluation of these patients and no correlation between alterations in lymphocyte profile and the presence of neuroelectric blocking factors in the peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗