Viral antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis and control patients: comparison between radioimmunoassay and conventional techniques

Abstract

CSF antibodies to measles, rubella, vaccinia, herpes simplex and varicella-zoster viruses in 4 patient study groups (clinically definite multiple sclerosis [MS], early probable MS, optic neuritis, and control patients with other neurological diseases) were assayed by radioimmunoassay, complement fixation, hemagglutination-inhibition, or complement-enhanced plaque reduction methods. Antibodies were more frequently found and at higher dilutions by radioimmunoassay than by other techniques. Measles virus antibody, the most frequently found antibody, was present in the CSF of 72% of MS patients and 5% of control patients. The differences between the numbers of MS patients and control patients with antibodies to other viruses were not as marked. Thus, 58% of MS patients vs. 2 of control patients had antibody to rubella virus, 20 vs. 3% had antibody to vaccinia virus, 50 vs. 33% had antibody to herpes simplex virus, and 25 vs. 8% had antibody to varicella virus. Sixty-seven percent of MS patients and 26% of control patients had antibodies to 2 or more viruses in their CSF.