Autoantibodies as diagnostic biomarkers for the detection and subtyping of multiple sclerosis

- Autoantibodies are useful blood-based biomarkers for the diagnosis of MS.
- Autoantibody biomarkers can also be used to distinguish different subtypes of MS.
- Autoantibody biomarkers may be useful to monitor the progression of MS.
- MS biomarkers can distinguish MS from non-neurodegenerative diseases.
- We describe the first blood-based test for the diagnosis and subtyping of MS.

The goal of this preliminary proof-of-concept study was to use human protein microarrays to identify blood-based autoantibody biomarkers capable of diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS). Using sera from 112 subjects, including 51 MS subjects, autoantibody biomarkers effectively differentiated MS subjects from age- and gender-matched normal and breast cancer controls with 95.0% and 100% overall accuracy, but not from subjects with Parkinson's disease. Autoantibody biomarkers were also useful in distinguishing subjects with the relapsing-remitting form of MS from those with the secondary progressive subtype. These results demonstrate that autoantibodies can be used as noninvasive blood-based biomarkers for the detection and subtyping of MS.

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