Serum autoantibody responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and myelin basic protein in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy and multiple sclerosis

We analyzed the sera of 51 patients with various phenotypes of X-linked adr enoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), 20 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 22 healthy volunteers for the presence of autoantibodies specific for the reco mbinant extracellular immunoglobulin-like domain of human myelin oligodendr ocyte glycoprotein (rhMOG(Igd)) and myelin basic protein (MBP). Anti-rhMOG( Igd) autoantibodies were significantly more frequent in X-ALD and MS patien ts as opposed to healthy individuals (p<0.05). Anti-MBP autoantibodies were present in about one-fourth of X-ALD and MS patients but in less than 10% of healthy individuals. Anti-rhMOG(Igd) autoantibody responses were not acc ompanied by increased T cell reactivity against rhMOG(Igd). These findings may have important implications for the understanding of humoral anti-myeli n immunoreactivity in demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system such as X-ALD and MS. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.