Serum levels of IgM to phosphatidylcholine predict the response of multiple sclerosis patients to natalizumab or IFN-β.

We developed an ELISA assay demonstrating the high prevalence of serum IgM to phosphatidylcholine (IgM-PC) in the first stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to analyze the role of serum IgM-PC as a biomarker of response to treatment. Paired serum samples from 95 MS patients were obtained before (b.

High prevalence of intrathecal IgA synthesis in multiple sclerosis patients.

The detection of intrathecal IgA synthesis (IAS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) could be underestimated. To assess it, we develop a highly sensitive assay based on isoelectric focusing (IEF). 151 MS patients and 53 controls with different neurological diseases were recruited.

Main Role of Antibodies in Demyelination and Axonal Damage in Multiple Sclerosis.

Antibodies and oxidative stress are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. We aimed to clarify the relation between them, their role in MS patients and to investigate their specificity, comparing MS with classical neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Brain samples from 14 MS cases, 6 with ND and 9 controls (without neurological diseases).

Serum antibodies to phosphatidylcholine in MS.

Objective: To evaluate the value of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies reactive with phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lactosylceramide (LC) as biomarkers in MS.

Methods: We developed an ultrasensitive ELISA technique to analyze serum IgG and IgM antibodies to LC and PC, which we used to analyze samples from 362 patients with MS, 10 patients with non-MS myelin diseases (Non-MSMYDs), 11 patients with nonmyelin neurologic diseases (Non-MYNDs), and 80 controls. MS serum samples included clinically isolated syndrome (CIS, n = 17), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS, n = 62), secondary progressive MS (SPMS, n = 50), primary progressive MS (PPMS, n = 37), and benign MS (BENMS, n = 36).