Antibody response to central and peripheral nerve antigens in rat and guinea-pig

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Abstract
Recent reports in the literature claim similarities in antibody responses exist between experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis and between experimental allergic neuritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. In view of this the antibody response to both central nervous tissue (human brain plus Freund adjuvant) and peripheral nervous tissue (human sciatic nerve plus adjuvant) was tested in white rats and guinea-pigs. In the rats a single inoculation of brain in adjuvant led to both experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and experimental allergic neuritis. A single inoculation of sciatic nerve with adjuvant produced 50% neuritis but practically no encephalomyelitis. Agglutinating antibody against aciatic nerve basic protein was greater than that against the encephalitogenic factor in each case. In the guinea pigs a single inoculation of brain with adjuvant led only to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis while inoculation with whole sciatic nerve led only to experimental allergic neuritis. No disease process was produced with sciatic nerve basic protein. The brain produced very little agglutinating antibody against either the encephalitogenic factor or the basic protein of sciatic nerve. Both whole sciatic nerve and sciatic nerve basic protein ellicited a marked anti-sciatic nerve basic protein response with little anti-encephalitogenic factor.