Determination of k/l immunoglobulin light chain ratios in CSF from patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Using antisera against Bence-Jones protein, the concentration of light chains type k and 1 can be determined in CSF. the calculation of the ratio of type k to type I light chains in CSF represents a sensitive mea sure for the evaluation of immunological processes involving the CNS. Our results demonstrate that an increased k/l ratio is encountered in 48 % of CSF specimen from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, but also in 50 % from patients with other inflammatory diseases involving the CNS, in contrast to only 18 % from other neurological diseases. In none of the MS or inflammatory cases is the altered k/l ratio the only indicator of a CNS inflammation, most commonly it is accompanied by an overproportional CSF-IgG elevation (increased QG ratio), an increased cell count or both. For these reasons determination of CSF k/l ratios is helpful in the differentiation of MS and other neurological diseases, but not for the differentiation of other inflammatory CNS diseases from MS.

This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit: