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Increased frequencies of serum antibodies to neurofilament light in patients with primary chronic progressive multiple sclerosis

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

A Lutterotti

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

J Wanschitz

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

M Khalil

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

C Gneiss

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

F Deisenhammer

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

M Reindl

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria

T Berger

Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria, thomas.berger{at}uibk.ac.at

We investigated whether serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) antibodies to the light subunit of the NF protein (NF-L), a main component of the axonal cytoskeleton, may serve as biological markers for axonal pathology and/or disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). IgG to NF-L was measured in sera and CSF of MS patients, patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the PNS, with acute inflammatory neurological diseases (including bacterial and viral meningitis), with neurodegenerative diseases, with acute noninflammatory neurological diseases (including stroke, headache and backache) and healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that serum anti-NF-L IgG antibodies were significantly elevated in MS patients with primary progressive disease course and we provide evidence for an intrathecal production of these antibodies. Our findings support the use of serum antibodies to NF-L as a marker for axonal destruction.

Key Words: autoantibodies • axonal pathology • markers of disease activity • multiple sclerosis • neurofilament protein

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 10, No. 6, 601-606 (2004)
DOI: 10.1191/1352458504ms1100oa


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