Viral immunoblotting: a sensitive method for detecting viral-specific oliogoclonal bands in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid.

A new method for detecting viral antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid is described. The technique has many advantages over previously published methods in that it is highly sensitive eliminating the need to concentrate the CSF, takes 5 h to complete, avoids the use of radionucleides, and most importantly circumvents problems associated with prozone effects which occur in immunoprecipitation reaction since the viral antigen is immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes.