ANTIBODIES TO STAPHYLOCOCCAL LIPOTEICHOIC ACID IN SERUM AND IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID FROM PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

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Abstract
Antibodies to staphylococcal lipoteichoic acid (LTA) were determined in serum and CSF from a group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a group of healthy individuals. Sera from 11 of 74 MS patients (15%) contained precipitating antibodies demonstrated by the double diffusion in agar test, compared to 48 of 94 control sera (51%). By using an indirect hemagglutination test, antibodies to LTA were found in all sera from patients and controls. LTA antibodies were detected in a higher proportion of the CSF samples from MS patients than from controls. A reduced serum to CSF ratio of LTA antibodies compared with the ratio for a reference antibody was demonstrated in 7 of 20 MS patients, suggesting a local synthesis within the CNS. Absorption of 7 MS CSF samples with LTA removed 1-3 of the cathodic oligoclonal IgG bands demonstrated by agarose electrophoresis and reduced the IgG concentration.