title: Clinical relevance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and antigen-driven immunoblots for the diagnosis of neurological infectious diseases.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction assays are a powerful tool for detecting the presence of infectious genomes in the cerebrospinal fluid. Positive results always mean a current or pending infection of the central nervous system. Subacute (>7 days) or chronic infections induce an intrathecal humoral immune response and the appearance of oligoclonal IgG antibodies directed against the causal infectious agent. This local synthesis may be observed even in cases of severe systemic immunodeficiency. The use of polymerase chain reactions in combination with the detection of a specific intrathecal immune response should represent the most reliable strategy for the diagnosis of viral and chronic infections of the central nervous system. The authors describe their experience, using this approach, in herpetic encephalitis, acute and recurrent herpetic meningitis, varicella zoster-induced neurological diseases, cytomegalovirus encephalitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalitis and tuberculous meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurochimie, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. sindic@nchm.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: C J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sindic
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Van Antwerpen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goffette
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D017931:DNA Primers; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D020804:Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G