Diagnostic method for multiple sclerosis

Abstract

A method of detecting the presence, or monitoring the severity of a condition characterised by the presence of fragments of a marker protein in the brain of a patient. The method comprises: (i) providing a sample comprising macrophages obtained from the patient; and (ii) detecting the presence of the marker protein or fragments thereof in the macrophages. The presence of abnormal levels of the marker protein and/or fragments thereof in the macrophages is indicative of the presence of the condition in the patient. The condition and the marker proteins can be: Alzheimer's Disease and the Abeta peptide, Parkinson's Disease and ubiquitin, Multiple Sclerosis and myelin basic protein, FrontoTemporal Dementia and tau, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and tau, Parkinson's disease, Lewy Body dementia or Alzheimer's Disease and alpha-synuclein.

1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A method of detecting differential levels of fragments of phagocytosed marker protein in a sample obtained from a patient, comprising:
 (i) subjecting a sample selected from a cerebro-spinal fluid sample and a blood sample obtained from the patient to cell sorting to isolate activated macrophages that display CD14 and/or CD16 cell surface markers;   (ii) lysing said activated macrophages and immunoprecipitating any marker protein fragments obtained from said lysed activated macrophages, wherein said marker protein fragments result from intracellular degradation of phagocytosed marker protein; and   (iii) detecting the level of said marker protein fragments immunoprecipitated from said activated macrophages,   
       wherein the marker protein is myelin basic protein and is a marker for multiple sclerosis. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein said activated macrophages are sorted by a technique selected from fluorescence activated cell sorting and magnetic extraction. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein in step (iii), the level of said marker protein fragments is detected by a technique selected from mass spectrometry, HPLC fluorescence, HPLC-UV, luminescence and streptavidin/biotin systems. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein step (iii) is conducted with an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds the marker protein and an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds a macrophage. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein the sample is cerebro-spinal fluid obtained from the patient by lumbar puncture. 
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein step (iii) is conducted with an antibody that specifically binds to a fragment of the marker protein. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein step (iii) is conducted with an antibody that specifically binds to the marker protein. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 36 , further comprising identifying the patient as having the condition when the detected level of said marker protein fragments is abnormal as compared to a standard level. 
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein the detected level of said marker protein fragments is abnormally high compared to a standard level. 
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein the standard level is the level in macrophages obtained from cerebro-spinal fluid from an individual without the condition. 
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein myelin basic protein has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.