Abstract
There is much evidence to implicate B cells and antibody immunity in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the last decade. The presence of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands of IgG class not detectable in serum provides powerful evidence for the diagnosis of MS, since it occurs in 95% of patients with MS.
The determination of antibody specificity has been unsuccessful so far. The search for an antibody or a combination of antibodies continues in order to improve the diagnosis, the classification and the prediction of the further course.
Antimyelin antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and myelin basic protein are the most popular in the recent years. Their prognostic value originally accepted with a great expectation is not confirmed with the latest data.
Evidence of axonal pathology was reflected in the interest in antiaxonal antibodies. The results are not consistent, however.
New methods and analysis of other factors of humoral immunity may result in identifying antibodies as biological markers of MS