Serum levels of anti-myelin antibodies in relapsing-remitting
multiple sclerosis patients during different phases of disease activity and
immunomodulatory therapy
Affiliations: Institute of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience,
Catholic University, Largo Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Anna Paola Batocchi, Institute of
Neurology, Catholic University, Largo Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39
6 30154435; Fax: +39 6 35501909; E-mail: annapaola.batocchi@rm.unicatt.it
Abstract: Antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte antigens have been found
in the immunoreactive brain lesions of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients.
Recently it has been proposed that these antibodies can be used as a prognostic
marker in the course of disease. However, the serum levels of these
autoantibodies during different phases of disease activity or after an
immunomodulatory therapy have been poorly investigated. In this study the serum
levels of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) (directed against the
epitopes 1–26 and 15–40) and anti-myelin basic protein (MBP)
antibodies were sequentially measured in the same MS patient either in relapse
or remission phases. We found that MS patients in the relapse phase had higher
serum anti-MOG (peptides 1–26 and 15–40) and anti-MBP antibody
levels than controls. In addition, the levels of anti-MOG 1–26 were also
elevated during the relapse as compared with the remission phase but no
significant changes were found in the levels of anti-MOG 15–40 of
anti-MBP antibodies. We also evaluated the effect of interferon-beta (β)
therapy on anti-myelin antibodies. 1-year of interferon-β treatment did
not induce any changes in the levels of anti-MOG and anti-MBP antibodies. In
conclusion, these data indicate that the use of peripheral levels of
autoantibodies against MOG and MBP as marker of multiple sclerosis might be
complicated by the phase of disease activity and by the epitope of the MOG
protein used.
