title: Analysis of the intrathecal humoral immune response in Brown Norway (BN) rats, infected with the murine coronavirus JHM.
abstract: Serum and CSF specimens from clinically healthy Brown Norway (BN) rats inoculated intracerebrally with corona virus JHM were analysed with respect to the state of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the intrathecal synthesis and isoelectric distribution of immunoglobulins (Ig). Increased CSF/serum ratios for Ig in the context of an intact BBB were never seen in the absence of intrathecal synthesis of virus-specific antibodies. Affinity-mediated immunoblot analysis revealed a broad pattern of virus-specific antibodies with embedded clusters of restricted heterogeneity, but no signs of oligoclonal Ig production carrying non-viral specificity. From these data it was concluded that BN rats do control the intracerebral spread of JHM virus effectively by a strong local virus-specific antibody response, thereby preventing a clinically apparent disease.
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins