A search for serum antibodies in Adie's syndrome.

Serum specimens from a large number of patients with Adie's syndrome were checked for virus antibody levels: Measles hemagglutination inhibition (HI), parainfluenza types I, II and III (HI), Epstein-Barr immunofluorescence, Mumps complement fixation (CF), Adenovirus (CF), Varicella-Zoster (CF), Herpes simplex (CF), Cytomegalovirus (CF), Mycoplasma hominis (CF), Toxoplasma gondii passive hemagglutination. These antibody levels were compared with specimens from a control group of similar age distribution and sex ratio. No statistically significant differences between the patients with Adie's syndrome and the control group could be demonstrated. This observation offers some indirect support to Harriman's idea that Adie's syndrome is not due to a viral ciliary ganglionitis but rather to an indolent neuronal degeneration in the ciliary and dorsal root ganglia.