Imbalance of k/lambda ratios associated with high measles antibody titers in fractionated serum immunoglobulins of patients affected with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Abstract

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a neurological disease which is characterized not only by the appearance of oligoclonal immunoglobulins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum but also by high measles antibody titers and disturbed k/lambda ratios, as well in serum as in CSF. These findings lead to the hypothesis that specific immunoglobulins are produced by hyperimmunisation against measles and/or measles-like virus. Therefore the serum IgG from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis patients were fractionated by column isoelectric focusing and the k/lambda light chain ratio and the measles antibody titer of each fration were determined. The highest k/lambda ratios and the highest measles antibody titers were found mainly in two fractions at a pH ranging from 8.94-8.51 for the first and 8.88-8.24 for the second.