Measles antibody in serum of multiple sclerosis patients, their children, siblings and parents.

Abstract

Measles antibody titer was determined by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test in serum from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), their children, siblings and parents and compared to those of controls from families without known cases of MS. The frequency of high concentration of measles antibody in serum (titer ≥ 128), among siblings of MS patients, was lower than among MS patients but higher than among controls. Both among MS families and controls, the frequency of measles titer ≥ 128 decreased with increasing mean age. Women had a higher frequency of measles titer ≥ 128 than men among persons without MS. Wart infection was of equal frequency among MS patients and controls. Controls had more often had contact with domestic animals in childhood than observed in MS patients.