Immunoglobulin heavy chain associated protein in multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid

Immunoglobulins G, A, and M (IgG, IgA and IgM) were isolated from multiple sclerosis (MS) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and sera by Protein A-Sepharose (PAS) affinity chromatography or using solid-phase immunoabsorbents. An isoelectric point heterogeneous protein with apparent mol. wt of 74,000-80,000 was seen consistently when CSF Igs were immunoaffinity purified but was never seen when PAS was used for Ig purification. Control experiments exclude the binding of this protein non-specifically either to Sepharose or to Igs or to other CSF proteins. Analysis of purified Igs under non-reducing conditions leads to some reduction in staining pattern indicating that a portion of the protein may be disulfide linked to itself or to other CSF proteins. Immunoblot analysis of CSF Igs separated on 2-DE gels is consistent with a portion of the total CSF Ig protein existing as "free" heavy (H)-chains. PAS requires dimeric Fc fragment of Ig for binding; the differences in 2-DE gels of PAS and immunoaffinity purified Igs may be due to interaction of the 74,000-80,000 protein with "free" H-chain, which nevertheless, still leaves this complex available for binding by anti-H chain antisera. It has been previously suggested that the cytotoxicity of "free" H-chains is abrogated in the absence of the complementary L-chains by H-chain binding proteins; the protein reported here has features similar to these proteins reported previously and may be involved in some way in regulating Ig production in the MS central nervous system.