Immunological relationship between a demyelinating RNA enveloped budding virus (Semliki Forest) and brain glycolipids

A monoclonal antibody (MAb) raised against central nervous system (CNS) myelin (212) and a MAb (308) raised against brain with Semliki Forest virus (SFV) were both found to react against the same CNS glycolipids. Both these MAbs were also found to react strongly with SFV and against certain brain glycolipid fractions in an immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This demonstrates the presence of common glycolipid antigens in the viral envelope and CNS myelin. MAb 212 had no SFV neutralising capacity and that of MAb 308 was not significant. However, MAb 212 inhibited the neutralisation of the virus by the MAbs (302, 307) specific to SFV proteins. The implications of these findings in relation to the viral induced CNS autoimmunity and persistence of virus in the CNS is discussed.