Peripheral blood leukocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other diseases were studied using Clausen's direct agarose gel migration method, with bovine encephalitogenic protein (BEP) and four peptides derived from it as antigens. Cells from healthy individuals show a slight and dose-dependent inhibition with BEP. Of 35 cell samples from 24 MS patients, 16 showed a significantly stronger reaction, manifested either as inhibition or stimulation of migration, than that seen with cells from healthy individuals. Of 29 samples from 29 non-MS patients, 6 showed such a reaction. In most instances, the reactivity to BEP could be localized to one or more of the peptides studied. There was no correlation established between peptide activity in the test and disease. A reactivity to the region containing the single tryptophan residue of the molecule (residue 116) could be demonstrated with cells from four patients: three had MS, the fourth had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One patient with active MS was followed for approx. two months, and definite changes in reactivity to BEP and the peptides were seen.
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Bergstrand et al. (2009) studied this question.
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