o-banding = inflammed csf; i have question

[Ufrustrated2]

i had a neuro a few years back mention that i had an inflammation in my csf, (aka o-bands).

i guess i had a dead brain cell wake up regarding this and wanted to ask, "what types of symptoms are related to this type of inflammed csf?"

as most know here i have ms but this question has been lurking in my brain and just now making itself known. LOL

tia

[COBOB]

O-bands in CSF and not in blood indicate that the CNS is developing unique antibodies, that the rest of the body is not. They really are not an indicator of inflammation, per se, but of immune system activity.

Bob

[shoshin]

"i guess when antibodies, these obands, appear in csf, its a good bet somewhere in there they are fighting a disease process or something, i take it?"

@ Ufrustrated Well, they are reacting against and attacking something(s), but it apparently isn't the exact same thing in everyone with MS. So far as I can tell, the researches would also really like to know what they're fighting and why.

"So, if you already have a Dx of MS and they want to run an LP. which my neuro is, what is he looking for?"

@ Sarah Maybe you should ask your neuro since it doesn't make a lot of sense if you already have a definite dx. O-bands in the CSF can be caused by some things other than MS so they don't make a positive dx in themselves. Some people with MS don't have o-bands so a negative result doesn't rule out MS. There is a philosophy that doctors shouldn't run tests if they wouldn't potentially do something different based on the results (which is why my neuro won't prescribe any follow-up MRIs). Some neuros (incorrectly) think that a negative LP means no MS. It would be good to find out if that is what yours thinks before you go through the whole thing.

sho

[Ufrustrated2]

i see. and then it would suggest strongly one's syptoms would be of a neurological component, yes?

[Ufrustrated2]

id be interested in why your doc is requesting that too to educate me more on that

[Ufrustrated2]

thanks for the links, etc.

i guess when antibodies, these obands, appear in csf, its a good bet somewhere in there they are fighting a disease process or something, i take it?

[sllowe]

Excellent interps....

Just one minor clarification/add-on to what Alex mentions regarding the if O-bands are only present in the CSF narrows down diseases..... -  What unique banding in CSF indicates initially is "confirmation" that the banding is of CNS origin (i.e., they did not find it in the blood serum). Which they can then further narrow down those possibilities.

[JaneK1975]

Science is so awesome. Thanks, Sho ;)

[shoshin]

@Ufrustrated2 I have read that the significance of o bands in MS is actually not really understood. O bands represent antibodies against something, but they haven't figured out exactly what they're doing in MS.

Some entries from a blog I like that you might find interesting:

"You will note that oligoclonal bands are not specific to MS [i.e., they also occur in other diseases] this is why they are not totally diagnostic and there are MSers who don't have lumbar punctures as part of their diagnosis, because MRI has indeed aided diagnosis fantastically."

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2011/11/research-identify-of-oligoclonal-bands.html

This is research trying (and failing) to identify the targets of o-bands/antibodies in MS. "no common motif was found" The researcher also notes that o-bands may "just be a by-product of the disease process, sending us a red herring"

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2011/12/research-identifying-targets-for.html

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2012/01/spinal-fluid-oligoclonal-bands-are-they.html

Also a general explanation that might be useful: http://www.mstrust.org.uk/atoz/lumbar_puncture.jsp

@Jane In most neuro illnesses where o-bands occur, I think they do go away when the illness resolves. However, in MS this is thought to generally not happen. In MS the o-bands tend to accumulate over time, which is why they are more often negative early on in the disease.

See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14760945 for example.

sho

[SarahL2491]

So, if you already have a Dx of MS and they want to run an LP. which my neuro is, what is he looking for?  Just trying to understand this o-band thing.

[Ufrustrated2]

thanks, yep, i kewn that.  all i remember him saying is that having an inflammation in the csf wasn't a good thing and they needed to find out what was causing it. which they did.

but, it would seem to me as a layman, that an inflammation in one's csf may/could cause something amiss, ya know? i.e., our brain swims in this fluid and nerve signal travel about it. so if its inflammed could it cause something or it can't do anything?

guess i don't understand them well

[JaneK1975]

And is it true that o-bands don't remain in the CSF forever? Are they only there during an attack and during healing from the attack... or something like that?

Just curious.

- Jane

[HVAC]

O-bands only indicate inflammation present in the CSF. They take blood at the same time as the LP and if you have o-bands only in the CSF and not in the blood serum it narrows down certain diseases. They then may do more blood work and if all those diseases are ruled out it may help to rule in MS.

Since you have been diagnosed with MS it only indicates you have MS. O-bands do not point to damage the way lesions on a MRI do.

Alex