Monoclonal antibodies to P2 basic protein and their use in the investigation of some aspects of the Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The production and characterization of two mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against human basic protein P2 is described. The two MAbs recognise two non-overlapping epitopes on P2. Using these two MAbs as a probe, a search was made for the presence of anti-idiotype (Ab2) antibodies directed against anti-P2 (Ab1) autoantibodies in sera of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In sera of twenty GBS patients no such Ab2 antibodies could be demonstrated. Epitopes present on cytomegalo virus- or Epstein-Barr virus-infected cells, which may play a part in triggering GBS, were not recognised by the two MAbs.