Serum anti-GAGA4 IgM antibodies differentiate relapsing remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis from primary progressive multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases
Received 17 May 2009; received in revised form 26 July 2009; accepted 28 July 2009. published online 02 November 2009.
Abstract
The serum level of IgM antibodies against Glc(α1,4)Glc(α) (GAGA4) is higher in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to other neurological disease (OND) patients and healthy controls (HC). Detecting the level of anti-GAGA4 antibody by enzyme immunoassay and total IgM, we confirmed that anti-GAGA4 IgM can differentiate RRMS from OND patients and HC. Moreover, secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and RRMS patients have similar levels of anti-GAGA4 demonstrating the biomarker's presence throughout the disease. Interestingly, the anti-GAGA4 assay may also differentiate between primary progressive MS (PPMS) and RRMS/SPMS patients, since nearly all PPMS patients were negative for the assay.
fNeurovirology Research Laboratory VASLCHCS and the Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Corresponding author. Neurovirology Research Laboratory VASLCHCS and the Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA. Tel.: +1 801 584 1292; fax: +1 801 584 5654.
1 The authors contributed equally to the study and appear in alphabetical order.
ABSTRACT