Antibodies to brain galactocerebrosides in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with disseminated sclerosis
: The titers of antibodies (AB) to myelin's glycolipids galactocerebrosides (GC) as well as some other immunological indices were measured in 63 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), in 14 patients with other similar neurological diseases and in 9 individuals with cerebellospinal ataxias. The correlation between the frequency of revelation of high serum AB titers and MS stage was observed. Thus the highest frequency was observed at primary progredient current of MS and at decline of its aggravation while the latter was found in steady remission. The correlation between level of AB to blood serum GC and blood immune complexes concentrations (complement and antistreptolysin O) was established too. Meanwhile these were not bound in patients with cerebellospinal ataxias and with other neurologic diseases or the titers of AB to GC were quite low in such cases. The titers of AB to GC in liquor were rather high in 2 patients with MS and in 1 patient with viral encephalitis while there were no AB to GC in other cases. That may be caused by determination of immunoglobulins of M class in reactions of complement binding. The determination of AB to GC in blood serum may be quite usefull in differential diagnosis of MS and other similar clinical conditions.