Immunochemical aberrations of alpha2-macroglobulin purified from a patient with multiple sclerosis.

We report on a patient with primary progressive multiple sclerosis who was found to present alpha2-macroglobulin with aberrant immunochemical properties. alpha2-macroglobulin was purified from plasma and investigated in ELISA using highly conformation specific monoclonal antibodies. The purified alpha2-macroglobulin displayed reactivity with antibodies specific for binding to native alpha2-macroglobulin as well as with antibodies specific for binding to transformed alpha2-macroglobulin. Furthermore, following methylamine treatment, alpha2-macroglobulin from the multiple sclerosis patient presented a reduced shift in antibody reactivity from the native-specific to the transformed-specific antibodies, as compared to normal alpha2-macroglobulin. In conclusion, the results suggest that alpha2-macroglobulin from this multiple sclerosis patient presents conformational aberrations, which may have implications on the capacity to eliminate proteinases from the systemic circulation.