Rickettsial and viral antibodies in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Sera from 40 cases of multiple sclerosis were examined by complement fixation against several rickettsial and viral antigens—namely, Q fever, typhus, rickettsialpox, psittacosis-lymphogranuloma, louping-ill, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, herpes, and mumps. The majority of the sera were also examined for louping-ill antibodies by a tissue-culture neutralization test. Mainly negative C.F. results were obtained with rickettsial antigens thus we failed to support the positive rickettsial microagglutination results of Le Gac et al. (1960). As there were no control cases in this preliminary investigation the significance of our positive findings for herpes, mumps and P-LGV requires further study in an adequately controlled series of cases. © 1962, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.