Antibodies specific for the lipid-bound form of myelin basic protein during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

On the hypothesis that myelin basic protein isolated with surrounding lipids may constitute an autoantigen in demyelinating diseases, we studied the antibody response to the lipid-free and lipid-bound form of myelin basic protein during the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced in rats with either form of protein. Immunization with the lipid-bound form of myelin basic protein induced high titres of antibodies directed to the protein, accompanied by no antibodies to cerebroside 30 days after immunization. Antibodies specifically directed to the lipid-bound form of myelin basic protein were revealed after removal of antibodies recognizing the delipidated myelin basic protein. Anti lipid-bound myelin basic protein antibodies could already be detected at day 10 post-immunization, reaching a maximum at day 20 post-immunization. Demonstrations of antibodies entirely specific for the lipid-bound form of myelin basic protein suggests that this molecule may present epitopes not to be found in its already extensively studied primary structure, possibly the result of conformational changes following lipid binding.