Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system occurring in children and adolescents. The measles virus, or a virus closely associated, plays an important role in the disease. SSPE appears years after these children have had the measles but still a measles-like virus can be found in their brain and in other organs. A certain deficit, still to be defined of the cell-mediated immunity as a chronic stimulation of the antibody response against the measles virus is documented in SSPE pointing to a possible immunologic imbalance in these patients. Studying the possibility of the presence of immune complexes in SSPE, immunofluorescent studies of kidney biopsy in SSPE patients have been performed. Complement deposits in the glomerular basement membrane have been found in most patients. The possible role of immune complexes in SSPE is still to be defined.