Early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis can be detected several years before the onset of symptoms
The results of the study will be presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), which will be held from April 26 to May 3, 2014 in Philadelphia (Antibody May Be Detectable in Blood Years Before MS Symptoms Appear).
There are about 2 million people in the world suffering from multiple sclerosis, in which the myelin sheath of nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord is affected during autoimmune processes. As a result, there may be a violation of normal motor activity and sensitivity, a drop in visual acuity, as well as a decrease in intelligence and a change in behavior. Multiple sclerosis is quite difficult to diagnose in the early stages, since when a small number of nerve fibers are affected, their functions are compensated by healthy nerve fibers, and only when the percentage of affected fibers approaches 40-50%, focal neurological symptoms appear.
–If our results are confirmed in more people, it will help to detect multiple sclerosis in patients at an early stage," said Viola Biberacher, lead author of the study. – Detecting the disease before the symptoms appear means that we can better prepare for treatment and perhaps even prevent these symptoms.
The study involved 32 healthy people, half of whom were later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Blood was taken from all subjects 2-9 months before the first attack of the disease for analysis.
As the results of the study showed, among those who later developed multiple sclerosis, seven people had antibodies to the KIR4.1 protein in their blood, two had a borderline level of activity of these antibodies, and another seven people had a negative antibody test. No antibodies to the KIR4.1 protein were detected in the blood of a group of healthy people.
The researchers also tracked the level of antibodies in multiple sclerosis sufferers six years before and after the onset of the disease. It turned out that antibodies to KIR4.1 were already present in the blood of people several years before they had the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The concentration of antibodies in the blood during this period was different depending on the time and individual people.
– Next, it will be necessary to confirm the results obtained on a larger group of people and determine how many years before the onset of the disease the immune response begins to develop, – said Professor Biberacher.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru25.02.2014