Abnormal Serum α2-Macroglobulin in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract
Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CI) of serum .alpha.2-macroglobulin (.alpha.2-M) neurological patients revealed that .alpha.2-M in serum of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients was abnormal. The immunoprecipitate of .alpha.2-M appeared asymmetric arguing for the presence in MS serum of 2 .alpha.2-M of different electrophoretic mobilities but with (partially) identical immunological properties. To study if this abnormality could be used as a diagnostic tool, 50 coded serum samples were studied by CI. After the evaluation by CI, the decoding revealed that 85% of the MS patients possessed abnormal .alpha.2-M as described. By employing the present method only 16% of the non-MS patients were mixed with the MS group. The pathogenic role of the present findings is discussed.

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