Progressive myoclonus epilepsy is not accompanied by humoral immune response within the central nervous system.

CSF and serum from five patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy taken on two occasions with about one month's interval were examined for intrathecal humoral immune response. The CSF IgG and IgA index values were normal, and no oligoclonal bands were detectable by agarose electrophoresis or polyacrylamide isoelectric focusing (IEF). Immunofixation of IEF separated IgG with four different viruses as possible antigens, and autoradiography did not reveal any intrathecal antibody production. In contradiction to previous reports, no evidence was obtained for a local humoral immune response in progressive myoclonus epilepsy.