Study of the IgG oligoclonal bands in cerebral spinal fluid in multiple sclerosis by electroimmunofixation

22 MS CSFs and 20 control CSFs were studied using an electroimmunofixation (EIF) technique on Cellulose Acetate strips. The oligoclonal gammaglobulin bands on MS CSFs were composed almost exclusively of complete IgG molecules. In a few MS CSFs bands composed of free heavy chains and of free light chains were observed. The bands were very often (93 percent) found to be homogeneous as far as the light chain type was concerned. In such homogeneous bands the light chain type most frequently observed was Kappa (59 percent). In 5 MS cases only Kappa type bands were detected, while a CSF with Lambda type bands only was never observed. On control CSFs, clear cut IgG oligoclonal bands were observed only in a case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).