Research: Antibody Avidity

Fialová L, Svarcová J, Bartos A, Malbohan I. Avidity of anti-neurocytoskeletal antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and serum. Folia Microbiol (Praha). 2012 May 8. [Epub ahead of print]


Antibodies have different avidities that can be evaluated using modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. We determined levels and avidities of antibodies to light (NFL) and medium (NFM) subunits of neurofilaments and tau protein in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 26 MSers and anti-tau antibody levels and their avidities in 20 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 20 age- and sex-matched controls.

The avidities of anti-neurocytoskeletal antibodies were higher in the CSF than those in serum (anti-NFL, p < 0.0001; anti-tau, p < 0.01; anti-NFM, n.s.). There was no relationship between avidities in serum and CSF for individual anti-neurocytoskeletal antibodies. We did not observe the relationship among the avidities of various anti-neurocytoskeletal antibodies. The avidities of anti-tau antibodies in the CSF were significantly higher in the MS patients than those in the controls (p < 0.0001). Avidity determination of anti-neurocytoskeletal antibodies could contribute to the evaluation of the immunological status of patients.
The binding strength of antibodies directed against internal nerve proteins were looked at in MS and were found to be higher in the cerebrospinal fluid that in the blood. This could be related to the likelihood that more protein is concentrated in the cerbrospinal fluid, compared to the blood as reflects the proximity to the nerve damage, which would not be occurring in healthy people. 

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