@A MyFibroTeam Member Oligoclonal "Bands" are the product of inflammatory activity by the immune system. In MS this kind of activity is present in the vast majority of people. We see the results of this in the T2 Hyperintense lesions and in the presence of unique bands found in the CSF.

In the immune system, a type of white cell called a B lymphocyte can be stimulated to become dedicated to producing a single type of antibody. It will always make this and only this antibody. When it is stimulated this way it is often called a plasma cell. Sometimes under abnormal conditions, the plasma cell is stimulated to make clones of itself all producing the same antibody or part of an antibody. These clones are the "bands". Most of these antibodies are not present in any real bulk and need specialized testing to find them. This is true both in the CSF and out in the body.

So, There can be bands made in the body and bands made in the CSF. The only time that you find the same band in both places is when it has "leached" across the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) to reach the other location.

When they test for bands the lab must run the test on both the blood and CSF. They hold up the pattern produced bands in the CSF and compare it directly to the pattern (if any) of bands in the blood.

If there are matching bands, it means the same band appears in both the CSF and the blood. This can only happen if the band was made on one side of the BBB and leached over into the other side. This is felt to happen almost always by going from being produced in the blood stream, then crossing the BBB and appearing in the CSF. These matching bands are not counted as being CSF bands because they likely were not made there.

If there are bands that are seen only in the blood and not in the CSF, they don't count either.

It is only the bands seen in the testing from the CSF that DO NOT APPEAR IN THE BLOOD that are counted for the diagnosis of MS. These are the bands that are unique to the CSF and there is no evidence that they leached over from the blood stream.

Look at this page of band tests. The bands show as pink. Only the solid, strongly colored bands count. The fuzzy areas are indefinite. This page shows the five possible pairings of CSF samples and Blood samples.

http://www.antibodypatterns.com/ief.php

Pair #1 - no distinct bands seen in either sample (negative for MS)

Pair #2 - many light, indistinct bands (negative)

Pair #3 - a few true bands which are identical in both the CSF and Blood (negative)

Pair #4 - No bands at all in the blood and some some in the CSF, so all are "unique" to the CSF (positive)

Pair #5 - Matching bands seen in both samples, but CSF has additional "unique" bands (positive)

I hope this helps.

Gentle hugs! 💜

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A MyFibro...

All I know is that's what I've been told, that the symptoms that I had matching Ms no longer active now ..... Everything with me is always backwards 😂😂

@A MyFibroTeam Member MS can be "active" or "not active" but in 46 years, I've never heard it referred as "dormant". And usually women with MS have fewer symptoms while they're pregnant but hey, pregnancy and hormones...go figure! LOL There are different types of MS and some of them, even if "not active", can and should be treated. Here's a link for your review. I would ask your doctor specifically which type you have so you know. Good luck! Hugs! 💜

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Typ...

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A MyFibro...

I have dormant MS.... It's in my family ... My nan died from it, as did her son my uncle.... While I was pregnant on both occasions I showed symptoms of it and an MRI confirmed it but after the pregnancy it's dropped to such a level that it's been deemed as dormant and I have been advised to have no further children. Fine with me the first two hurt like hell anyway and I have my girl and my boy ... No one can tell how long it will stay "dormant" for so I have yearly MRI scans but so far I'm one very lucky mummy as far as MS goes

I am sorry, I do not have MS so I am not familiar with the bands. I hope someone here will be able to help you .