Lipid composition of myelin in multiple sclerosis

Summary Myelin was isolated from histologically normal white matter and plaques from MS patients and from white matter of neurologically normal controls. No difference was found in the total lipid content. There were no detectable deficits in MS myelin of phosphoglycerides, plasmalogens or sphingolipids. Gangliosides and lysolecithin were not detected. Analysis of the fatty aldehyde composition of the phosphoglycerides and the fatty acid composition of the cholesteryl esters, phosphoglycerides and sphingolipids did not show any differences between the normal and MS myelin.This investigation was supported by Grant 484 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and by USPHS Grants HD 04575, NB 05464, GM-K6-19177.The postmortem specimens were provided from the International Tissue Bank supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and administered by Wallace W. Tourtellotte, M.D., Ph.D.