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Quantitation of IgG, IgA and IgM in the CSF by radioimmunoassay

Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (Mrs. Mingioli and Dr. McFarlin); Immunophysiology Section, Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Heath (Dr. Strober); Neurology Service, VA Wadsworth Hospital Center, Los Angeles (Dr. Tourtellotte); and Research and Neurology Service, Memphis Veterans Hospital, and the Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences, Memphis (Dr. Whitaker).

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for quantitating IgG, IgA and IgM in unconcentrated CSF has been developed. The amounts and percentages of these immunoglobulins in CSF from 31 normal individuals were determined. Using these values as normal, CSF from patients with syphilis, encephalitis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), and multiple sclerosis (MS) was studied. Abnormalities were detected, indicating the potential relevance of more extensive study of the CSF immunoglobulins. CSF from patients with myotonic dystrophy and myasthenia gravis was normal. RIA was compared with rocket electroimmunodiffusion (EID) for the quantitation of IgG. Although RIA consistently gave lower absolute values, both assays reliably detect elevated IgG in CSF. However, an advantage of RIA is its capacity to quantitate IgA and IgM.

Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. McFarlin, Neuroimmunology Branch, NINCDS, National Institutes of Health, Building 36, Room 5D-12, Bethesda, MD 20014.

This work was supported by Grant No. RG 829-E-25 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Dr. Whitaker is a clinical investigator with the Veterans Administration.

Accepted for publication March 7, 1977.