Intracerebral IgG synthesis in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis as evaluated from CSF analysis

Intracerebral IgG synthesis was calculated by the Tourtellotte formula in 23 patients suffering from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis [SSPE] and in 7 non-SSPE paticnis. Its; synthesis increased progressively and significantly with the clinical stage of SSPE suggesting that: increasing activity of the immune system may be a contributory factor to the progressive damage in the CNS. Results suggest that quantitation of intracerebral IgG synthesis has no diagnostic advantage over CSF IgG level or the ratio of IgG to total protein; however, it is a, more specific reflection of the amount of IgG synthesized locally in the CNS which may be of help in evaluating the results of therapy