Cellular Hypersensitivity In Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis

17 May 1971

journal article
research article
Published by American Medical Association (AMA)

Vol. 216 (7) , 1201-1202
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1971.03180330075025

Abstract

To the Editor.— Dermal reaction to measles antigen and macrophage migration inhibition tests using a concentrated lymphocytic supernate and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were conducted to evaluate the cellular immunity of a 9-year-old girl with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Both were positive but there was no evidence of impairment of thymus-dependent lymphocytes, thereby suggesting the presence of aggressive lymphocytes specific to measles antigen. While the relation of measles virus to SSPE has been confirmed by a number of investigators since the report of Connolly et al¹opinion is still divided on the question of why the disease arises only rarely among patients with measles. Burnet described a possible related impairment of thymus-dependent lymphocytes sensitive to measles antigen.²Saunders et al proposed a destructive interaction between the agressive lymphocytes specific for measles antigen and the host cells containing adapted virus,³while Horta-Barbosa et al⁴reported that a particular

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This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:

MEASLES AS AN INDEX OF IMMUNOLOGICAL FUNCTION
The Lancet, 1968