[Relation between the clinical and cerebrospinal fluid parameters in multiple sclerosis, with special reference to...

120 patients with clinically definite or probable Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were studied by Isoelectric focusing of cerebrospinal fluid and serum proteins. Of the 62 patients with definite MS, 56 (90%) had IgG oligoclonal bands only in CSF, while in the group with probable MS 44 patients over 58 (75,8%) showed the same finding. The group of 20 patients with normal IgG profile has been compared with a group of 22 patients selected by random out of the 100 with IgG oligoclonal bands. No statistically significant difference was discovered between these groups but a tendency to present an higher age at onset and a longer duration of the disease in the group with a normal IgG pattern than in the patients with oligoclonal bands was pointed out.