HLA ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODY RESPONSES TO MEASLES AND RUBELLA VIRUSES IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Abstract

Twenty‐four HLA‐antigens coded by loci A and B were determined serologically for 60 multiple sclerosis patients from Northern Finland. Forty‐five of the patients were also typed by mixed leucocyte culture reactivity for HLA‐Dw2. The only statistically significant difference in antigen frequencies in these patients compared with those in controls was the decrease of HLA‐A2 among patients. Measles and rubella antibody titres in patients with and without HLA‐Dw2 and HLA‐B7 antigens were compared using a sensitive radioimmunoassay method. There was no difference between age‐ and sex‐matched patient groups.