Assay of immune complexes in infantile hydrocephalus among Nigerians.

The immune complexes in infantile hydrocephalic CSF in Nigerian children using a laser nephelometer were quantified. The values obtained were relatively low when compared with the serum levels. There was no evidence of selective admixture or of a breakdown of blood-brain-barrier (BBB). The low levels of immune complexes, when associated with implantation of shunt device for treatment of the hydrocephalus, may be a predisposing factor that can lead to overwhelming infection among this group of patients in a developing country like Nigeria. Between the hydrocephalic fluid and lumbar CSF, an IgG gradient was found.