hide
Free keywords:
MYELIN-OLIGODENDROCYTE GLYCOPROTEIN; ACUTE DISSEMINATED
ENCEPHALOMYELITIS; B-CELL AUTOIMMUNITY; TERM-FOLLOW-UP; ANTIMYELIN
ANTIBODIES; NEUROMYELITIS-OPTICA; MYELIN/OLIGODENDROCYTE GLYCOPROTEIN;
DEMYELINATING DISEASES; PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS; BASIC-PROTEINMultiple sclerosis; Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; Biomarkers;
Autoantigens; Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein; Autoantibody
detection methods;
Abstract:
The growing complexity number of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy emphasizes the need for an individualized approach, tailoring therapy to the needs of the individual patient. There is evidence supporting the immunopathological heterogeneity of MS, based on the analysis of biopsy and autopsy tissues. In clinical practice it is impossible to differentiate between the pathological subtypes of MS, because blood or CSF markers of pathological heterogeneity are lacking. Identification of such markers would be important, because "tailored therapy" and "biomarkers for patient stratification" may be considered as two sides of the same coin. In this article, we discuss the emerging role of autoantibodies as potential biomarkers, focusing on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MUG) as one of the best characterized autoantigens in MS. In addition, we discuss several strategies for the identification of novel candidate autoantigens. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
