Antibody Responses toAcinetobacterspp. andPseudomonas aeruginosain Multiple Sclerosis: Prospects for Diagnosis Using the Myelin-Acinetobacter-Neurofilament Antibody Index

Antibody responses toAcinetobacter(five strains),Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli, myelin basic protein (MBP), and neurofilaments were measured in sera from 26 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 20 patients with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), 10 patients with viral encephalitis, and 25 healthy blood donors. In MS patients, elevated levels of antibodies against all strains ofAcinetobactertested were present, as well as antibodies againstP. aeruginosa, MBP, and neurofilaments, but not antibodies toE. coli, compared to the CVA group and controls. The myelin-Acinetobacter-neurofilament antibody index appears to distinguish MS patients from patients with CVAs or healthy controls. The relevance of such antibodies to the neuropathology of MS requires further evaluation.