Radioimmunoassay of measles virus antigen and antibody in SSPE brain tissue.

Abstract

A solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure was used to detect measles virus antigen in brain tissue of experimentally infected hamsters and in a human SSPE brain. RIA was also used to detect measles virus antibody in eluates from the same SSPE brain. The antibody in the eluates was sharply measles-specific, showing no reactivity by RIA with HSV-infected cells. Similarly, antibody eluted from a HSV-infected human brain reacted only with the infecting virus. KI eluted two to ten times as much viral antibody from infected brain tissues as was dissociated by low pH. Radiolabeled antibodies to human IgA, IgG and IgM which had been purified and concentrated by immunoadsorption with purified immunoglobulins were used in the RIA system to study the classes of immunoglobulins present in SSPE brain eluates; only measles antibody of the IgG class was demonstrable.