Since the beginning of my journey with Jeff's MS diagnosis in 2007, I've been told by neurologists that MS is an auto-immune disease and this can be measured by Myelin Basic Protein autoreactive t-cells found in cerebral spinal fluid, and that this is exclusive to MS. And this is part of the target for immuno-modulating therapies.  But what is these MBP auto-reactive T-cells are NOT really exclusive to MS?   Guess what?  They're not.

Here is a study where the CSF of patients with cerebrovascular disease is tested. And those with MS and CVD have the same range of MBP reactive T-cells in the CSF. This leads the researchers to posit that this immune reaction is secondary to damage in the CNS. Which makes me wonder....is the CSF of stroke patients and those with hypoxia or ischemic events regularly tested? And if so, are these people told they have an immune system disease? Why has the research of MS as a cerebrovascular disease been so fraught with controversy? 

Myelin antigen reactive T cells in cerebrovascular diseases

 W.Z.WANG,T.OLSSON,V.KOSTULAS,B.HOJEBERG,H.P.EKRE&H.LINK

Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden 

Quote:

INTRODUCTION In acute ischaemic cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), mononuclear cells appear in the brain parenchyma within 1-2 days and increase in number over the ensuing 5-30 days[1].Also in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), elevated numbers of mononuclear cells may be detected. These cells are considered to mainly represent monocytes-macrophages, but there are no detailed studies on their lineage with,e.g.,antibodies to different cell surface markers. Oligoclonal IgG bands are present in the CSF while missing in corresponding serum, in about 10% of patients with CVD [2,3].A local B cell response directed to neurotropic viruses,as in patients with multiple sclerosis, has been reported in those patients with CVD who displayed oligoclonal IgG bands in CSF [4].Taken together,these observations indicate that patients with acute CVD may display an intrathecal immune response...... 

The strong increases in numbers of MBP, MBP peptide and PLP reactive T cells in blood, and of MBP reactive T cells in CSF, which we here report in our patients with Cerebro Vascular Disease, are in the same range as we have previously observed in MS [10,11].Thus, both diseases are accompanied by an expanded pool of myelin autoreactive T cells and they may well be secondary to damage to the central nervous system.

Here is the full paper in PDF form.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1554378/pdf/clinexpimmunol00048-0161.pdf

It's really dense and sciency....but it is worth the read.

If these autoreactive t-cells are found in people that have strokes or cerebrovascular disease, and are NOT exclusive to MS,  how on God's green earth can we say that MS is auto-immune?

It's not.  I believe MS is a disease of the vascular system which creates a secondary reaction by the immune system.  I believe Dr. Zamboni discovered the engine in MS---and it is CCSVI.