Immunological findings during an acute relapse of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a patient with an unusually prolonged disease course

A 171/2-year-old male subacute sclerosing panencephalitis patient underwent a disease relapse after an 8 year remission. A total of 14 paired peripheral blood/cerebrospinal fluid specimens were obtained during this relapse. These specimens were tested for 13 parameters of non-specific or measles virus-specific cell-mediated and humoral immunity. There was a rapid and significant fluctuation in all of these tests. Total loss of measles-specific T cells response was found during the relapse. The response re-appeared and measles-specific antibodies increased significantly later on. The results suggest that measles virus infection was reactivated in this patient and that the observed immunological changes could at least partially be explained by this.