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Immune complexes in multiple sclerosis

Relation to clinical pattern

  • Original Investigations
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Summary

Using a C1q binding test, circulating immune complexes (IC) were detected in 33.3% of sera from 138 patients and in 19.4% of 124 spinal fluid samles from patients with multiple sclerosis. Most often they occur in sera alone. As a rule their detectable amount is small in sera as well as in spinal fluids. IC were observed with equal frequency during acute exacerbations and in stable phases of the disease. In patients with early MS of less than 3 months duration, IC were detected only rarely, whereas their frequency increased up to 50% in patients with longer standing disease. Immunosuppressive therapy has no influence on IC formation. Patients with immune complexes exhibited a more rapid clinical deterioration if compared as a group with IC-negativ ones. No correlations were found between immune complex formation and the CSF-IgG index or the rate of pleocytosis in spinal fluids. Neither the complement factors C3, C4, C3A nor total hemolytic complement activities (CH 50) in serum were significantly decreased in patients with IC formation in serum as compared with the IC-negative group. The results demonstrate that IC formation probably is of no importance in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Zusammenfassung

Zirkulierende Immunkomplexe ließen sich mit Hilfe des C1q-Bindungstestes bei 33,3% von 138 Multiple-Sklerose-Kranken im Serum und bei 19,4% von 124 Multiple-Sklerose-Kranken im Liquor nachweisen. Sie traten zumeist im Serum allein auf. Ihre nachweisbare Menge war sowohl im Serum als auch im Liquor häufig nur gering.

Sie traten in akuten Stadien der Erkrankung ebenso häufig auf wie in relativ stabilen Phasen. Bei frisch Erkrankten mit einer Krankheitsdauer von maximal 3 Monaten sind sie sehr selten. Bei längerer Krankheitsdauer lassen sie sich dann bei 40–50% der erkrankten Personen nachweisen, auch noch nach jahre- oder jahrzehntelangem Verlauf. Bei einer zweijährigen Verlaufsbeobachtung zeigte sich, daß bei Personen mit zirkulierenden Immunkomplexen die Multiple Sklerose rascher fortschreitet. Eine immunsuppressive Behandlung ist ohne Einfluß auf die Bildung der Immunkomplexe. Ihre Entstehung ist auch unabhängig von der Immunglobulin G-Erhöhung im Liquor und dem Ausmaß der Pleozytose. Eine Verminderung einzelner Komplementfraktionen (CH 50, C3, C4, C3A) war bei Personen mit zirkulierenden Immunkomplexen nicht festzustellen.

Die Untersuchung macht deutlich, daß Immunkomplexe wahrscheinlich keine entscheidende Rolle in der Pathogenese der Multiplen Sklerose spielen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurology, Medical School, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 9, D-3000, Hannover 61, Federal Republic of Germany

    U. Patzold & P. Haller

  2. Division of Clinical Immunology and Blood Transfusion, Medical School, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 9, D-3000, Hannover 61, Federal Republic of Germany

    B. Baruth, W. Liman & H. Deicher

Authors
  1. U. Patzold
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  2. P. Haller
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  3. B. Baruth
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  4. W. Liman
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  5. H. Deicher
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. med. Hans Schliack on the occasion of his 60th birthday

This investigation was supported in part by funds from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 54, Project G3

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Patzold, U., Haller, P., Baruth, B. et al. Immune complexes in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 222, 249–260 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313154

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