In order to address the reason for the increased recruitment of complement proteins to retinal synapses and for its activation during the early pre‐clinical stage of optic neuritis/EAE, we collected blood samples from MOG/CFA‐injected and CFA(control)‐injected mice (in the pre‐clinical phase, 7–9 days after immunization) and tested them in ELISA assays for the presence of auto‐reactive antibodies against retinal proteins. Here, MOG is linked to optic neuritis.