Autoantibody Profile Emerged Years Before Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis

About 10% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) had an autoantibody signature that was present at least 5 years before symptoms, according to an analysis of blood samples from 500 military service members. Researchers collected the first sample an average of 5 years before some participants started experiencing MS symptoms, and the second about 1 year after symptoms appeared. The findings were validated using an additional cohort of more than 100 patients who were enrolled during their first MS attack and later diagnosed with the disease.