Viral Antibodies in Serum and CSF of Parkinsonian Patients and Controls

Abstract

• Viral antibody titers to 12 strains of influenza A virus and to 11 other viruses were determined by complement-fixation (CF), hemagglutination-inhibition (HI), and/or indirect hemagglutination (IHA) tests in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with classical postencephalitic Parkinson's disease (PEPD), idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), and nonparkinsonian neurological and medical diseases (controls). We found significant differences of mean serum antibody titers to several viruses in the group with PEPD and the controls. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (CF, IHA), cytomegalovirus (CF, IHA), and herpes simplex virus type 2 (IHA) mean titers were significantly lower in sera of patients with PEPD than in the sera of control patients. Herpes simplex virus 1 (IHA), measles (HI), and rubella (HI) mean titers were significantly lower in sera of patients with PD than in those of controls. Serum influenza mean titers (Hsw1N1) were significantly higher in the patients with PEPD than in the controls; but, this latter finding could not be confirmed when two additional control groups were concurrently tested. We question the biological importance of these viral agents in the etiology of Parkinson's disease and suggest that none of these viruses are causally associated with the disease.