Detection of Coxsackievirus B 4 antibodies in cases of suspected encephalopathy by microneutralization test.

A retrospective study of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected from suspected viral encephalitis and encephalopathy cases was carried-out and it included 100 CSF and 89 serum samples from Goa, collected during 1990-1994. These samples which were negative for antibodies to Japanese encephalitis (JE), West Nile (WN), Dengue-2 (DN-2) and herpes viruses, were tested for Coxsackievirus B 4 specific antibodies by 'in vitro' microneutralization technique along with 80 negative control serum samples. Out of 189 specimens (100 CSF and 89 serum), 23 CSF and 41 serum samples were positive for Coxsackievirus B 4 neutralizing antibodies. Antibody profile seemed to be IgG as revealed by mercaptoethanol treatment. The presence of neutralizing antibodies to coxsackievirus B 4 with titres as high as 1:512 in 8 CSF and 19 serum samples seemed to be suggestive of viral meningitis due to Cox B-4 viruses.