IDENTIFICATION OF PEPTIDES BINDING TO IGG IN THE CSF OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

Phage displayed random Peptide libraries were screened in order to ide ntify phagotopes reacting with the IgG present in the cerebrospinal fl uid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Six families of phagoto pes each composed of different isolates were identified. These phagoto pes were used as reagents, to characterise IgG present in the CSF of M S patients. The following results were obtained: (a) CSF antibodies fr om different Patients display different specificities; (b) anti-phagot ope antibodies ore also Present in the serum of MS Patients, (c) Anti- phagotope antibodies ore equally frequent in the serum of MS patients and of healthy individuals; (d) some of the anti-phagotope antibodies ore enriched in the CSF of MS patients. These data show that the natur al antigen(s) recognised by CSF antibodies is rather common in the gen eral population. By using the selected phagotopes as immunogens in rab bits, we have derived large quantities of anti-phagotope antisera whic h con Provide for useful tools toward the identification of the natura l antigen(s) recognised by MS CSF antibodies.