A radioimmunoassay search for measles and distemper antigens in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and multiple sclerosis brain tissues.

Solid-phase direct sandwich radioimmunoassays have been developed which will detect measles antigen in as little as 20 microgram of SSPE brain, measles antigen in 5 x 10(4) pfu/ml of measles virus, and canine distemper antigen in 5 x 10(5) pfu/ml of this virus. Using these assays, a search was carried out for measles and distemper antigens in CNS autopsy tissue from 3 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Even in 1000-fol higher concentrations of MS brain (20 mg), antigens of neither virus were detected. Additional studies were carried out using similar radioimmunoassays but employing IgG from 2 MS patients as probe against MS brain specimens, including IgG and acute plaque material from the same individual. However, no reaction between MS IgG and MS brain was detected. Thus no evidence was found for foreign antigen in the MS brain nor for autoantibody which reacted with brain tissue antigens. It is concluded that either measles or distemper are not present in acute MS lesions, or that they are present in such small amounts that their detection will require techniques even more sensitive than those used in the present study.