Anti-myelin basic protein (-MBP) autoantibodies have generally been considered to be absent from sera from healthy individuals, but to be detectable in sera from some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their pathogenic role is uncertain. We demonstrate the presence of MBP-reactive autoantibodies in sera from 17 healthy individuals and 17 MS patients. The addition of MBP to the sera caused a dose-dependent deposition of MBP and co-deposition of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and fragments of complement component 3 (C3) on allogeneic monocytes. Calcium chelation abrogated the immunoglobulin deposition, indicating that formation of complement-activating immune complexes played a role in the binding process. Furthermore, MBP elicited tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-10 production by normal mononuclear cells in the presence of serum from both patients and controls. Mononuclear cells from MS patients responded to MBP with the production of interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5, in addition to TNF-alpha and IL-10. The production of IFN-gamma and IL-5 was increased when MS serum was added rather than normal serum. Denaturation of MBP strongly inhibited MBP deposition and the MBP-induced IgM deposition and cytokine production, indicating that these events were facilitated by autoantibodies recognizing conformational epitopes on MBP. We infer that MBP-elicited TNF-alpha and IL-10 responses are promoted to equal extents by naturally occurring MBP autoantibodies and autoantibodies contained in MS sera. However, the latter seem to be more efficient in facilitating the production of IFN-gamma and IL-5.