Investigation of serum viral antibody titers in vestibular neuronitis

Abstract

Forty-four patients with vestibular neuronitis were investigated serologically. The serum viral antibody titers were examined for the following viruses: herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), EB virus (EBV), rubella virus, adenovirus, influenza virus A, influenza virus B, parainfluenza virus 3, mumps virus, measles virus and mycoplasma. The methods for measuring serum viral antibody titer in this study were complement fixation test (CF), hemagglutination inhibition test (HI), neutralization test (NT), indirect fluorescent antibody technique (FA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The sera from all 44 cases were measured twice. Of these, 36 cases were treated as so-called “paired sera” in serological statistics. In 27 cases (61.4%) we performed a first serum examination within 2 weeks after onset of vertigo. Seventeen among the 36 paired cases showed significant change (four-fold of higher rise) in serum viral antibody titer (HSV: 2 cases, CMV: 1, EBV: 7, rubella: 2, adeno.: 2, influ. A: 1, influ. B: 2). HSV 1 IgM (ELISA) was detected in only one case, in serum of the acute stage. We assumed that the detected viruses played some role in the onset of vertigo in each case.During the follow-up significant chages in serum viral antibody titer were observed in several cases including the cases investigated long after the initial onset, but none showed a recurrent vertigo attack or aggravation of dizzy sensation.Twenty-one patients (47.7%) showed some symptoms of upper respiratory infection or inflammatory findings prior to or during vertiginous attack. Most of these patients demonstrated significant changes in serum viral antibody titer.