Specific Laboratory Test for Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

• Published in: British Medical Journal Vol. 1; no. 5905; pp. 412 - 414
• Main Authors: Field, E. J., Shenton, B. K., Joyce, Greta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 09.03.1974; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Antigens; Cell Migration Inhibition; Disease susceptibility; Epidemiology; Female; Guinea Pigs; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Linoleic Acids; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - immunology; Macrophages; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Methods; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Nervous system diseases; Neuromyelitis optica; Papers and Originals; Thyroid Gland - immunology; Tuberculin; Tuberculosis; Unsaturated fatty acids
• ISSN: 0007-1447; 1468-5833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.1.5905.412

Lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis are much more susceptible to the inhibitory activity of linoleic acid (0·08 mg/ml) when tested for sensitization to thyroid by the macrophage electrophoretic mobility test (91% inhibition) than are those from normal subjects (57% inhibition). Cells from patients with a variety of other neurological diseases give 47% inhibition with linoleic acid. These differences are specific for multiple sclerosis and can be used as an in-vitro diagnostic test for the disease. Nearly 43% of clinically normal near relatives of patients with multiple sclerosis show an “anomalous” figure of about 77%; in the remainder the figure is the same as in the general population (57%). An anomalous result is compatible with lifelong freedom from M.S. Possibly a congenital anomalous handling of unsaturated fatty acids is a constant feature of the disease.