[Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid proteins in patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)]

CSF proteins of 62 patients with SSPE aged 6 to 26 years were analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The total IgG concentration in the CSF was increased to 16.8 +/- 10 mg/dl and the IgG index was raised to from 2.7 +/- 0.5 to 3.6 +/- 3.0. All SSPE patients had pathological subfractions gamma 4 and gamma 5. The per cent proportion of the gamma 1 subfraction was raised only in the youngest patients. A tendency was observed for higher values of the prealbumin:albumin index and the prealbumin: transferrin index. The youngest SSPE patients had a tendency for greater total protein concentration, lower prealbumin concentration, and highest IgG index values (3.6 +/- 3.0). In early disease period a tendency was noted for higher concentration of total protein, higher total IgG level and higher IgG index. These results suggest that SSPE patients have a constant stimulation of B-cells and variable increase of blood-brain barrier permeability.