The JI
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     
 

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ohta, M.
Right arrow Articles by Saida, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ohta, M.
Right arrow Articles by Saida, T.

The Journal of Immunology, Vol 137, Issue 11 3440-3443, Copyright © 1986 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Sera from patients with multiple sclerosis react with human cell T lymphotropic virus-I gag proteins but not env proteins--Western blotting analysis

M Ohta, K Ohta, F Mori, H Nishitani and T Saida

To study the possible involvement of human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-related agent in Japanese multiple sclerosis (MS), we performed a Western blotting analysis, using purified viral antigens, on sera from 46 patients with MS, nine patients with other neurologic diseases, and 11 healthy controls. Of 46 MS patients, 11 (24%) had antibodies reactive with antigens corresponding to the group-specific antigen (gag) proteins (p15, p19, and p24), although the prevalence was lower than that reported in a recent study using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Despite the lower frequency of immunoreactivity, Western blotting technique had merits of identification of multiple antigens and higher specificity for detection of antibodies than ELISA. Those sero-positive patients consisted of four cases with IgG antibodies reactive mainly to the gag p24 and/or p15, four with IgM antibodies mainly to the gag p24 and/or p19, and three with both IgG and IgM antibodies. These immunostaining patterns of MS sera were clearly distinguishable from those of adult T cell leukemia patients who had antibodies to the envelope (env) proteins and its precursors in addition to the gag proteins. The antibody in MS sera was generally of low titer and reactive at a high serum concentration (1/10 dilution). None of the sera from patients with other neurologic diseases and healthy controls had the viral antibodies. These findings indicate that at least one quarter of Japanese MS patients have antibody responses to a hitherto unidentified agent related to HTLV-I, which possibly plays a part, primarily or secondarily, in the pathogenesis of those patients.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.Home page
C. Voisset, R. A. Weiss, and D. J. Griffiths
Human RNA "Rumor" Viruses: the Search for Novel Human Retroviruses in Chronic Disease
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., March 1, 2008; 72(1): 157 - 196.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
S. Hinrichs, M Nerenberg, R. Reynolds, G Khoury, and G Jay
A transgenic mouse model for human neurofibromatosis
Science, September 11, 1987; 237(4820): 1340 - 1343.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Website Copyright © 1986 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.
All Contents Copyright © 1986 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved.