MR peri-CSF lesions and CSF oligoclonal bands in Italian multiple sclerosis patients

Acta Neurol Scand. 2009 Oct;120(4):242-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2008.01147.x. Epub 2008 Dec 22.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated the association between brain lesion distribution and the presence of oligoclonal IgG bands (OCBs) in Italian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively selected brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uniformly performed in 56 relapsing patients (41 patients OCB positive).

Results: Brain lesions in periventricular areas occurred in 92.86% of the patients (100% OCB+ and 73.33% OCB-) (P = 0.004), but we did not find a significant difference for their median volume (P = 0.553) and median number (P = 0.606) between the two groups. Parenchymal lesions occurred in 76.8% of the patients with a similar distribution (P = 1.00) and no significant difference in the median volume (P = 0.818) and number (P = 0.643) between the two groups.

Conclusions: The present study on cohort of Italian MS patients demonstrated a lack of correlation between lesion distribution and OCBs, suggesting that B cells producing them could be localized both in meningeal niches and cerebral parenchyma.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology
  • Multiple Sclerosis / pathology
  • Oligoclonal Bands / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Oligoclonal Bands