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Published on: May 4, 2012
Native and transformed alpha2-macroglobulin in plasma from patients with multiple sclerosis
M Gunnarsson1, P Sundström, T Stigbrand
1Department of Immunology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden and Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. martin.c.gunnarsson@vll.se
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|June 17, 2003
Summary
Plasma alpha2-Macroglobulin (alpha2M) shows increased transformation in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This suggests potential inactivation, impacting proteinase and cytokine levels and offering diagnostic insights for MS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease with unknown causes.
- Elevated proteinases in the MS central nervous system may release immunogenic myelin components.
- alpha2-Macroglobulin (alpha2M) is a proteinase inhibitor and cytokine carrier undergoing conformational changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate total alpha2M levels in MS patients.
- To compare the degree of alpha2M transformation in MS patients with different disease courses versus controls.
Main Methods:
- Radial immunodiffusion was used to measure total alpha2M plasma levels.
- Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for native and transformed alpha2M were employed.
- Plasma samples were treated with methylamine to assess conformational changes.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in total alpha2M concentration was found between MS patients and controls.
- Fractions of transformed alpha2M were significantly higher in patients with secondary or primary progressive MS compared to controls.
- A shift in mAb reactivity after methylamine treatment confirmed alpha2M's ability to transform in MS patients.
Conclusions:
- Plasma alpha2M may be more inactivated in patients with chronic progressive MS than in those with other neurologic diseases (OND).
- Altered alpha2M transformation could influence systemic proteinase and cytokine levels.
- These findings may have diagnostic implications for progressive MS.
