Vladimíra Sládková, Jan Mareš, Petr Kaňovský
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of CNS with the prevalence of 80-130 patients out of 100 000 inhabitants in our country. It belongs to autoimmune diseases leading to demyelisation of nervous fibres and their consequent loss. According to McDonald diagnostic criteria published in 2001 and their revised version from the year 2005 besides clinical examinations basic methods to make diagnosis of MS were an analysis of cerebrospinal liquid and MR imaging. Even according to the revision of these criteria from the year 2010 the liquor examination is not necessary for the establishing of the MS diagnosis any more, it still brings essential data needed to differential diagnostics. Quantitative and qualitative cytology, essential biochemistry examinations, assessment of the condition of heamato-liqour barrier (HLB), examination of intrathecal synthesis of IgG and determination of the number of oligoclonal IgG bands (OCB) belong to essential liquor examinations. The spectrum could be supplemented by the so-called MRZ reaction or detection of intrathecal synthesis of specific IgG antibodies against neurotropic viruses (the virus of measles, rubella zoster and rubella) and by the level detection of some inflammatory or neurodegenerative markers.