Research: Identifying Targets for Oligoclonal bands

Fujimori J et al. Epitope analysis of cerebrospinal fluid IgG in Japanese multiple sclerosis patients using phage display method Mult Scler Int. 2011;2011:353417. [Epub] .

Recently we reported on the identification of oligoclonal bands (antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)) using a technique known as phage display. This study phage display method was applied to the CSF from 15 MS and 10 control patients. Peptide sequences recognized by MS and control CSF IgG were individual specific, and no common motif was found. Peptide sequences frequently showed homology to various kinds of amino acid sequences of ubiquitous viruses such as epstein barr virus (EBV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV), although the frequency was not specific to MS patients. MS CSF IgG may recognize various types of ubiquitous viral antigen.

This study detects a different set of targets to other studies, but Prof G. may be encouraged that they can react to viral protiens that could related to a disease-related trigger. (See previous posts on EBV etc.) alternatively this may just be a bye-product of the disease process, sending us a red herring.

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