Demonstration of zoster virus antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid cells.

A method is presented that allows the immunocytochemical detection of varicella zoster virus antigen-binding cerebrospinal fluid cells in zoster ganglionitis. Antigen-binding cells were found only in patients suffering from this disease. The technique is sensitive, specific, inexpensive and relatively fast, and is potentially applicable to other inflammatory central nervous system diseases with immunoglobulin-containing cells (ICC) in CSF. The detection of antigen-binding CSF cells may represent a very early diagnostic test comparable with the early IgM antibodies of the systemic immune response.