A screening assay to detect antigen-specific antibodies within cerebrospinal fluid

Journal of Immunological Methods
Patricia MorrisGeoffrey Keir

Abstract

Identification of the aetiology of central nervous system infections requires the detection of either the organism or a microbe-specific immune response within the brain or cerebrospinal fluid. We describe a screening assay to detect herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, measles and Toxoplasma gondii specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid. Antigen-specific immunoblotting of oligoclonal IgG and IgM was used to confirm the presence of antibody. Of 51 consecutive cerebrospinal fluid samples received by the laboratory from patients with suspected central nervous system infection 18 (35%) were screen positive for one or more antigen. In only 7 of these were antigen-specific oligoclonal IgG or IgM bands confirmed. The assay provides a simple, cheap assay to screen for microbial-specific antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients with suspected neurological infections.

References

Mar 10, 2001·Journal of the Neurological Sciences·H Reiber, J B Peter
May 30, 2001·Lancet·R J Whitley, B Roizman
Oct 3, 2001·Journal of Neurovirology·M KoskiniemiUNKNOWN Study Group
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Jun 15, 2004·Lancet·J G Montoya, O Liesenfeld
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Citations

Aug 26, 2011·Journal of Clinical Microbiology·H E AmbroseUNKNOWN UK Aetiology of Encephalitis Study Group
Aug 5, 2014·Journal of Clinical Virology : the Official Publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology·Jenna Pietiläinen-NicklénMarjaleena Koskiniemi
Oct 19, 2010·The Lancet Infectious Diseases·Julia GranerodUNKNOWN UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) Aetiology of Encephalitis Study Group
May 17, 2019·Case Reports in Surgery·Joshua E HellerLauren Thaete

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