IMMUNOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE FOR A GAMMA GLOBULIN PECULIAR TO CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Abstract

Two immunologically different gamma globulins were revealed in "normal" cerebrospinal fluid (NCSF) and in multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid (MSCSF) by immunoelectrophoretic analyses, which employed rabbit antisera prepared against NCSF and MSCSF. Since only one gamma-globulin arc was formed on immunoelectrophoretic analyses of normal human sera (NHS) with rabbit anti-CSF sera and repeated absorptions of anti-CSF sera with human serum failed to remove antibodies to the minor gamma globulin, it would appear that the minor gamma globulin is peculiar to CSF. The major gamma globulin of CSF was shown to be immunologically identical with the single gamma globulin of serum as judged by the fusion of their respective precipitin arcs. The major and minor gamma globulins of NCSF could not be distinguished from those of MSCSF by any of the rabbit antisera used. However, the ends of the precipitin arc formed by the major gamma globulin of NCSF with its homologous antibody became frayed and sometimes doubled indicating it to be immunologically less homogeneous than the gamma globulin of serum. The two gamma globulins of MSCSF and the minor gamma globulin of NCSF migrated more slowly than the major gamma globulin of NCSF. In comparison with NHS, the immunoelectrophoretic patterns of CSF developed with anti-CSF sera were characterized, in the alpha-2 zone, by a greater number of stronger arcs. Experiments on absorbed anti-CSF sera indicated that this was due to differences in the relative concentrations of the various components of this zone in the two fluids.