TY - JOUR KW - Antibodies, Antinuclear KW - Autoantibodies KW - Axons KW - Cross Reactions KW - Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel KW - Fluorescent Antibody Technique KW - Humans KW - Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments KW - Immunoglobulin G KW - leprosy KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Myelin Sheath KW - Sciatic Nerve AU - Eustis-Turf E P AU - Benjamins J A AU - Lefford M J AB -

Sera from 43 leprosy patients were tested for antibodies that bound to normal human nerve. Thirty-eight percent showed positive staining as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. Only 1 out of 30 control sera tested displayed similar staining. Western blots of myelin and neural intermediate filament (IF) proteins were tested with patient sera. Two of the anti-neural antibody (ANeAb)-positive leprosy sera bound to the P0 protein of PNS myelin. All 17 ANeAb-positive leprosy sera displayed 2 or more bands in the molecular weight range of Mr 45 000-55 000, when tested against IF proteins. One explanation for these findings is that leprosy patients produce antibodies to intermediate filament (IF) proteins released subsequent to the bacterial invasion of the peripheral nerves. The importance of these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of leprosy is discussed.

BT - Journal of neuroimmunology C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3511085?dopt=Abstract DA - 1986 Feb DO - 10.1016/S0165-5728(86)90015-9 IS - 4 J2 - J. Neuroimmunol. LA - eng N2 -

Sera from 43 leprosy patients were tested for antibodies that bound to normal human nerve. Thirty-eight percent showed positive staining as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. Only 1 out of 30 control sera tested displayed similar staining. Western blots of myelin and neural intermediate filament (IF) proteins were tested with patient sera. Two of the anti-neural antibody (ANeAb)-positive leprosy sera bound to the P0 protein of PNS myelin. All 17 ANeAb-positive leprosy sera displayed 2 or more bands in the molecular weight range of Mr 45 000-55 000, when tested against IF proteins. One explanation for these findings is that leprosy patients produce antibodies to intermediate filament (IF) proteins released subsequent to the bacterial invasion of the peripheral nerves. The importance of these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of leprosy is discussed.

PY - 1986 SP - 313 EP - 30 T2 - Journal of neuroimmunology TI - Characterization of the anti-neural antibodies in the sera of leprosy patients. VL - 10 SN - 0165-5728 ER -