Serological studies on the etiological role of measles-like virus in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Significantly higher CSF titers of hemagglutination (HI) measles virus antibody were found in 22 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and more elevated titers of measles virus neutralization (NV) antibody were encountered in 19 patients with SSPE than in 50 children and young adults with other neurological diseases. Similar differences occurred in the sera of patients and controls. The serum: CSF antibody ratio was examined in 15 SSPE cases. All but one patient showed reduced antibody ratio (less than 80) as compared with the normal index. In addition, serological studies in some SSPE patients showed the presence of CSF antimeasles fluorescent (FA) and mixed hemadsorption (HAd) antibodies as well as serum anti-ribonucleoprotein antibody (RNP), HAd and FA had titers from 1:16 to 1:32000. SSPE patients harbored serum antibodies against three components of the measles virus as measles patients did. Most of SSPE patients had increasing CSF and serum titers of measles-like virus antibodies over the course of the disease.