High-sensitive biomarker detection in MS via novel ELISA assay

An international research team developed a novel high-sensitive ELISA assay to detect antibodies to myelin lipid antigens in the serum of patients with MS. Their analysis demonstrated that IgM antibodies reactive with phosphatidylcholine (IgM-PC) can be a sensitive biomarker for MS [1].

The detection of specific antibodies reacting with lipids in myelin, the main target in MS, has been troublesome due to technical issues and antibody parameters in serum samples of MS patients. To this end, the current study aimed to develop a high-sensitive technique to detect antibodies to lipids in MS patients. Furthermore, IgM and IgG antibodies in reaction with PC or lactosylceramide (LC) were assessed as potential biomarkers in these patients. The team collected serum samples of 362 MS patients (clinically isolated syndrome, n=17; primary progressive MS, n=37; relapsing-remitting MS, n=62; secondary progressive MS, n=50; benign MS, n=36), 80 control participants, and 10 patients with non-MS myelin diseases. Prof Maria Cruz Sádaba (Private University San Pablo CEU, Spain) presented the results.

The novel, ultra-sensitive ELISA assay, developed by the researchers, was able to significantly differentiate between the serum levels of IgM-PC in MS patients (optical density (OD) mean 0.192) and control subjects (OD mean 0.078; P=0.001) [2]. Furthermore, the tool was able to distinguish between patients with clinically isolated syndrome (OD mean 0.281; P=0.035) and relapsing-remitting MS (OD mean 0.244; P=0.011) on the one hand, and patients with progressive forms of the disease on the other hand (primary progressive OD mean 0.170; secondary progressive OD mean 0.200). Progressive forms of MS could be differentiated from benign MS based on IgM-PC serum concentration. An additional analysis confirmed these results: a higher proportion of patients with clinically isolated syndrome displayed IgM-PC in serum samples (88.2%), compared with patients with secondary progressive MS (58.0%; P=0.037), primary progressive MS (59.5%; P=0.034), benign MS (11.1%; P=0.0001), control participants (25.0%; P=0.0001), and non-MS myelin disease (30.0%; P=0.004). In patients with relapsing-remitting MS, 88.7% showed IgM-PC in serum samples, significantly more than patients with benign MS, progressive forms of MS, and healthy controls, respectively. IgG-PC, IgG-LC, and IgM-LC levels did not differ between MS patients and controls.

1. Sádaba MC, et al. Detection of IgM to phosphatidylcholine in serum samples is a major diagnosis marker in MS. P003, ECTRIMS 2021 Virtual Congress, 13–15 October.
2. Sádaba MC, et al. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2020;7(4):e765.

 

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Posted on 9 December, 20219 December, 2021