Peripheral neuropathy associated with anti-myelin basic protein antibodiesin a woman vaccinated with rubella virus vaccine

Active immunisation with rubella vaccine has not been commonly associated w ith neurological complications. We report the case of a 23-year-old woman w ho developed a mild, distal demyelinating neuropathy after immunisation wit h the live attenuated RA 27/3 rubella strain. Post-immunisation immunologic studies carried over 24 months showed the presence of antibodies to the RV proteins, particularly to the capsid antigen, and to the myelin basic prot ein (MBP). A similarity between a C antigen motif and a sequence of the MBP was found by computer analysis. The cross-reactivity was confirmed by immu nising mice with a synthetic peptide derived from the MBP, which developed a strong humoral response to RV and MBP. This finding raises the possibilit y that a virus-induced immune response could lead to an autoaggressive reac tion responsible for demyelination.