A CHEMILUMINESCENCE ASSAY TO DETECT ANTIBODIES TO BRAIN SURFACE-ANTIGENS IN HUMAN SERA

A chemiluminescence assay was developed based on the interaction betwe en antibodies binding to the surface of living brain cells in culture and macrophages. Such interaction leads to production of reactive oxyg en radicals which can be measured by a chemiluminescence assay. This a ssay was used to detect anti brain antibodies in serum samples from hu mans with various neurological diseases. Such antibody activity was fo und in a high proportion of these patients. Subsequent experiments wit h purified IgG fractions and corresponding F(ab')(2) fragments showed that the observed reactions were highly specific. It was concluded tha t the chemiluminescence assay is a sensitive and useful technique to d etect autoantibodies in neurological diseases.