Myelotoxicity of serum and spinal fluid in multiple sclerosis: a critical assessment

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 2; no. 3; pp. 295 - 309
• Main Authors: Hughes, D, Field, E J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.05.1967
• Subjects: Animals; Cerebellum - pathology; Culture Techniques; Demyelinating Diseases - etiology; Motor Neurons; Multiple Sclerosis - blood; Multiple Sclerosis - cerebrospinal fluid; Myelin Sheath - pathology; Rats
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249

Explants of neonatal rat cerebellum have been cultured on rat-tail collagen coated cover-slips for 2–4 weeks under conditions which yielded well myelinated nerve fibres suitable for testing myelotoxicity of serum. Eighty-four per cent of twenty-five acute multiple sclerosis serum samples were myelotoxic, as opposed to 62% of twenty-six sera from cases of motor neurone disease. Twenty-four per cent of thirty-four normal sera also showed distinct myelotoxicity. The difficulties in setting up and interpreting tests for in vitro demyelinating activity of serum are discussed. Six spinal fluids from acute cases of multiple sclerosis were without activity. It is concluded that although myelotoxicity exists in most samples of serum from acute multiple sclerosis, it is not limited to such subjects and that its high incidence in motor neurone disease sera indicates that it may well be a consequence of myelin destruction rather than a primary factor in its causation.