Antibodies against different viral antigens in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

Abstract

Antibodies against structural antigens of measles virus were measured in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and controls. The patient group included 63 cases with “probable” and 24 cases with “possible” MS, while the control group consisted of 101 patients with other neurological diseases. Positive rates in MS patients were from 20 to 60 per cent, and in controls from 6 to 9 per cent. Positive rate figures in rubella HI tests were 20 and 2 per cent, respectively. No antibodies against herpes simplex, herpes zoster-varicella, mumps and RSSE virus were found in complement fixation tests in any of the CSF specimens tested. The presence of measles and rubella antibodies was in positive correlation with higher amounts of IgG and a higher ratio of IgG/albumin. These results suggest that anti-body production against structural components of measles virus and rubella virus occurs in the central nervous system of some MS patients.