The detection of activated cerebrospinal fluid B lymphocytes by peroxidase conjugated antibodies.

A method for the preparation of a potent and specific peroxidase-labelled antihuman IgG antibody is described. CSF cells from patients with various neurological diseases were stained. Only in cases of inflammatory diseases was IgG detectable. The stained cells were so-called lymphoid cells. As the demonstrable IgG can be regarded as a product of intracellular synthesis, it is justified to call these cells activated B lymphocytes. The relative portion of activated B cells tends to be high in the first half of the mononuclear phase and depends upon the type of disease. It is low in most cases of bacterial and benign viral meningitis whereas high B cell numbers were found in Bannwarth meningopolyneuritis, mumps meningitis and herpes simplex encephalitis. Albeit there exists a time lag between the maximal number of activated B lymphocytes and the demonstration of the secretory immunoglobulin fraction, quantitative correlation between these two inflammation parameters were demonstrated in cases of acute meningoencephalitis. These correlations were not seen in chronic inflammatory diseases.