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Humoral Immunity in Neurological Diseases pp 265–270Cite as

Problems with Qualitative CSF Antibody Tests

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 24))

Abstract

For a cerebrospinal fluid antibody test to be helpful in the diagnosis of CNS infectious disease, it must be sensitive and specific enough to detect antibody against the infectious agent that is produced by plasma cells within the brain or meninges, but not so sensitive as to detect the minute amounts of antibody entering the CSF following production by plasma cells elsewhere in the body. The immunoglobulins in normal CSF are believed to originate from plasma and to enter the CSF primarily via the choroid plexus (l, 2). These immunoglobulins are chiefly of the IgG class and are believed to reflect a proportion of the IgG antibodies in the blood. Therefore, using CSF to diagnose central nervous system (CNS) infections differs from using blood to diagnose systemic infections. If a diagnostic test were very sensitive, it could detect the presence of antibodies in normal CSF that originated only from plasma and were, therefore, not indicative of a CNS infection. The newer antibody tests (immunofluorescence, radio-immuno-assay (RIA), and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA)) are achieving the sensitivity that allows detection of viral, bacterial, and protozoan antibodies in normal CSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Veterans Administration Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    L. E. Davis

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  1. L. E. Davis
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen, Neurochemie Wilrijk, Belgium

    D. Karcher  & A. Lowenthal  & 

  2. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, St. Genesius-Rode, Belgium

    A. D. Strosberg

  3. Université Paris VII, Paris, France

    A. D. Strosberg

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© 1979 Plenum Press, New York

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Davis, L.E. (1979). Problems with Qualitative CSF Antibody Tests. In: Karcher, D., Lowenthal, A., Strosberg, A.D. (eds) Humoral Immunity in Neurological Diseases. NATO ASI Series, vol 24. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1003-7_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1003-7_34

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-1005-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-1003-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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