Impact of cerebrospinal-fluid oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands and HLA-DRB1 risk alleles on brain magnetic-resonance-imaging lesion load in Swedish multiple sclerosis patients.

Approximately 95% of Nordic multiple sclerosis (MS) patients display oligoclonal immunoglobulin G bands (OCB) in the cerebrospinal fluid. From a cohort of 2094 MS patients we retrieved well-characterized data from 40 OCB-negative and 60 OCB-positive patients, in an effort to determine whether lesion load on brain magnetic resonance imaging is affected by OCB status and carriage of HLA-DRB1*15 or HLA-DRB1*04. Positivity for OCB did not increase the risk of belonging to higher-lesion-load groups; nor did carrying HLA-DRB1*15 or HLA-DRB1*04. A trend was seen, however, whereby OCB positivity conferred a two-fold risk of displaying higher lesion loads infratentorially.