Subtle Immunologic Abnormalities in Four Boys with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis

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Abstract
Four boys with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis did not express delayed responses to six common skin-test antigens. Skin allografts were rejected more slowly than normal, and contact sensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene failed to develop. Three of the four lacked or had reduced serum IgA. Of particular interest was the finding of relatively feeble germinal-center activity in the regional lymph nodes after booster immunizations with diphtheria-tetanus toxoid. These results suggest that subtle abnormalities of the immune system may be present in the rare case in which sclerosing panencephalitis develops after rubeola.