Abstract

Abs against myelin basic protein/MBP endowing with proteolytic activity (Ab-proteases with functionality) are of great value to monitor demyelination to illustrate the evolution of multiple sclerosis (MS). Anti-MBP autoAbs from MS patients and mice with EAE exhibited specific proteolytic cleavage of MBP which, in turn, markedly differed between: (i) MS patients and healthy controls; (ii) different clinical MS courses; (iii) EDSS scales of demyelination to correlate with the disability of MS patients to predict the transformation prior to changes of the clinical course.Ab-mediated proteolysis of MBP was shown to be sequence-specific whilst demonstrating fivesites of preferential proteolysis to be located within the immunodominant regions of MBP and tofall inside into 5 sequences fixed. Some of the latter (with the highest encephalitogenic properties) were proved to act as a specific inducer of EAE and to be attacked by the MBPtargeted Ab-proteases in MS patients with the most severe (progradient) clinical courses. The other ones whilst being less immunogenic happened to be EAE inducers very rare but were shown to be attacked by Ab-proteases in MS patients with moderate (remission-type) clinical courses