Intrathecal IgM synthesis in pediatric MS is not a negative prognostic marker of disease progression: quantitative versus qualitative IgM analysis.

Background: Intrathecal IgM synthesis is reported to be associated with a worse prognosis in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To study the predictive value of intrathecal IgM synthesis for the clinical course of pediatric MS.

Methods: Seventy children with onset of MS before the age of 16 years and followed for a median period of 10.

Paediatric and adult multiple sclerosis: age-related differences and time course of the neuroimmunological response in cerebrospinal fluid.

We investigate common pathophysiology in paediatric and adult multiple sclerosis (MS) by comparison of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) data. We compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) data from eight patient groups with onset of MS at 7 to 29 years (n = 184). A new statistics program allows sensitive detection, quantifies the mean amount of intrathecal Ig synthesis in groups based on the 96% reference range of 4100 non-inflammatory controls, corrects for age-related increase of blood-derived albumin and immunoglobulins in CSF, and presents graphical data interpretation in Reibergrams.

Intrathecal antibody production against Epstein-Barr and other neurotropic viruses in pediatric and adult onset multiple sclerosis.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent reports proposed an increased EBV-targeted humoral immune response in MS, which appears to be more pronounced in pediatric patients. However, little is known about the CNS-derived antibody production against EBV in patients with MS.

Early reduction of total N-acetyl-aspartate-compounds in patients with classical vanishing white matter disease. A long-term follow-up MRS study.

The neuropathology of vanishing white matter (VWM) disease is characterized by a loss of white matter (WM). Although recent histopathological studies suggest a primary glial dysfunction, the purpose of this work was to assess the extent of axonal involvement in VWM using long-term follow-up proton MR spectroscopy. White and gray matter of nine children with genetically proven VWM and late infancy/early childhood onset were investigated with short-echo time, single-voxel proton MR spectroscopy over up to 8 years starting as early as less than 2 years after the onset of symptoms (5 patients).