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Isoelectric focusing and crossed immunoelectrofocusing of CSF immunoglobulins in MS

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Summary

The 3 main Ig classes and the presence of free light chains were studied by isoelectric focusing and crossed immunoelectrofocusing in 100 CSF samples from patients with clinically definite or probable MS. Minute quantities of IgM and free light-chain (mostly lambda) components were found in 2 out of 11 and 5 out of 14 samples respectively. IgG and IgA were detected in all samples examined for these proteins and were found in the pI-ranges of 5.3–9.8 and 4.6–6.4 pH-units respectively. The gammaglobulin abnormalities found on isoelectric focusing were identified as microheterogeneous, oligoclonal IgG with predominantly kappa light-chain determinants. The IgG immunoprecipitates differed from those of normal subjects and the major abnormal components most frequently exhibited pI-values >8 pH-units. The IgA immunoprecipitates had 2–4 main components with some tendency to discontinuous subfractionation. This Ig class, however, did not exhibit the marked tendency to oligoclonal distribution found for IgG.

Zusammenfassung

Die 3 wichtigsten Ig-Klassen und das Vorhandensein von freien, leichten Ketten wurden durch Isoelektrofokusierung und durch gekreuzte Immuno-Elektrofokusierung im Liquor von 100 Patienten mit klinisch gesicherter oder wahrscheinlicher MS untersucht. Sehr kleine Mengen von IgM und von freien, leichten Kettenkomponenten (vor allem lambda) wurden in 2 von 11, respektive in 5 von 14 Fällen gefunden. IgG und IgA wurden in allen Fällen, in welchen nach diesen Proteinen gesucht wurde, im pI-Bereich von 5.3–9.8, respektive 4.6–6.4 pH-Einheiten gefunden. Die von Isoelektrofokusierung vorgefundenen Gammaglobulinanomalien wurden als mikroheterogene, oligoklonale IgG mit leichten Ketten vom überwiegend Kappa-Typ beschrieben. Die IgG-Immunoprezipitate unterschieden sich von normalen Fällen; die größeren abnormen Komponenten wiesen häufig pI-Werte von >8 pH-Einheiten auf. Die IgA-Immunoprezipitate hatten 2–4 Hauptkomponenten mit Tendenz zu unterbrochener Subfraktionierung. Diese Ig-Klasse wies jedoch nicht die bei IgG vorgefundene ausgesprochene Neigung zu oligoklonaler Verteilung auf.

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  1. Department of Neurology, Karolinska Hospital, S-10401, Stockholm, Sweden

    Å. Sidén

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Sidén, Å. Isoelectric focusing and crossed immunoelectrofocusing of CSF immunoglobulins in MS. J. Neurol. 221, 39–51 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313168

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