title: [Antibody activity of CSF oligoclonal IgG in infectious neurological diseases. Detection using immunoblotting].
abstract: The authors describe various applications of an immunoblot technique which allows the qualitative determination of the specific antibody activity of oligoclonal IgG intrathecally synthesized in infectious diseases of the nervous system. After dilution of sera to the same IgG concentration as the paired CSF samples, 10 microliters of both fluids are applied side by side on agarose gel plates and isoelectrically focused. Precipitated IgG or specific IgG antibodies are then blotted onto a nitrocellulose sheet previously coated with either a rabbit anti-IgG antiserum or the antigen under study, respectively. The immunoblot is successively incubated with biotinylated anti-IgG antiserum and with the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex before staining with 4 chloro-1-naphthol. This method was applied to samples from patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, herpetic encephalitis, meningoradiculitis due to Herpes Zoster, neuro-AIDS, neurobrucellosis, meningoradiculitis or encephalomyelitis due to Borrelia burgdorferi, and tuberculous meningitis. In each case, specific oligoclonal IgG antibodies, superimposed or not on a diffuse polyclonal synthesis were detected in the CSF, but not, or more faintly, in the corresponding serum. This was taken as evidence for an intra-thecal synthesis of these antibodies. In contrast, when a "mirror effect" was observed, i.e. similar oligoclonal bands in both serum and CSF after dilution at the same IgG concentration, an intra-thecal synthesis was ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurochimie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Bukasa
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sindic
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Limet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laterre
mesh_terms: D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007239:Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008581:Meningitis / Q000276:immunology; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands
vernacular_title: Activité anticorps des IgG oligoclonales du LCR dans les pathologies neurologiques infectieuses. Détection par "immunoblotting".