Demonstration of locally synthesized immunoglobulin M antibodies to Treponema pallidum in the central nervous system of patients with untreated neurosyphilis.
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies to Treponema pallidum (TP) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be evaluated quantitatively using a recently introduced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In 19 patients with untreated neurosyphilis, local synthesis of TP-specific IgM antibodies within the central nervous system (CNS) was demonstrated by estimation of the CSF/serum ratio of the TP-IgM-ELISA titer/mg total IgM. The TP-specific IgM antibody levels/mg total IgM in the CSF were between 3- and 75-fold higher than those in the corresponding serum of the same patients. Patients with untreated syphilis but without CNS involvement showed equal amounts of TP-specific IgM antibody levels/mg total IgM in CSF and serum, and served as controls.
D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000032:analysis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000276:immunology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M