AN ESTIMATION OF OLIGOCLONAL BANDS IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Oligoclonal bands (OCB) can be detected in a significant percentage (90%) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), however, a much lower percentage has been reported in some studies, mainly from oriental countries. On the other hand, OCB have been detected in other neurological disorders (OND), even in diseases without any definite evidence for inflammation in CSF such as myasthenia gravis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of OCB detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in diagnosis of MS and to compare the clinical history of patients with and without OCB. CSF and serum of 80 patients, 40 with the diagnosis of MS and 40 with OND, were collected and analyzed for presence of OCB, using SDS-PAGE method. OCB were found in CSF in 28 (70%) of MS patients and in 8 (20%) of OND group. There was a significant statistical correlation between detection of OCB in CSF and MS diagnosis (P<0.0001). In MS group, the duration of the disease was longer in OCB positive patients (P= 0.045) and OCB detection was less common in patients with spastic paraparesis as a dominant clinical sign (P=0.006). In respect to other parameters, including age, sex and CSF cell count and protein, no significant difference was found. According to this study, there is a positive correlation between OCB and MS diagnosis as well as the duration of MS, and a negative correlation between OCB and spastic paraparesis as the dominant sign of MS.