[Detection of antibodies to the causative agents of viral infections in multiple sclerosis patients]. / Obnaruzhenie antitel k vozbuditeliam nekotorykh virusnykh infektsii u bol'nykh rasseiannym sklerozom.

Serological examinations of blood sera from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), their nearest relatives, and subjects of the control groups for antibodies to causative agents of some viral infections demonstrated antihemagglutinins to measles and rubella viruses in 61%-95.5% of the subjects examined in all the groups, to mumps virus in 53% in MS patients, to tick-borne encephalitis virus in 2.2% in the same group, and in 10.5% in the group of patients with other CNS diseases, and none in healthy subjects. Virus-neutralizing antibodies to human acute encephalomyelitis virus (HAEM) in 28% of the cases, frequently in the stage of remission. Specific IgM to measles virus was found in 41% of MS patients, in 15% of their nearest relatives, and in 19.7% of patients with other CNS diseases, but not in healthy subjects. No differences in the rate of antibody findings to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 were observed in the groups examined. The rate of detection of virus-neutralizing antibody to HAEM virus was significantly higher in MS patients with the severity of the course of IV-V degree (20%) than of the II-III degree (8.8%). In the period of MS exacerbation the level of specific IgM to measles virus increased (35.6%), and higher titres of antihemagglutinins were observed in patients with longer duration of the disease and higher degree of its severity.