The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is believed to involve environmental factors, but their identity and mode of action are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that Ab specific for the extracellular Ig-like domain of myelin oligodendrocyte glyco- protein (MOG) cross-reacts with a homologous N-terminal domain of the bovine milk protein butyrophilin (BTN). Analysis of paired samples of MS sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) identified a BTN-specific Ab response in the CNS that differed in its epitope specificity from that in the periphery.

Click here to download: Antibody Cross-Reactivity in MS (butryphillin)