Progressive rubella panencephalitis: immunovirological studies and results of isoprinosine therapy.

Two patients with progressive rubella panencephalitis, one with and one without stigmata of congenital rubella, were treated for 9 months with isoprinosine and showed continued clinical deterioration. Immunoviorological studies performed before, during and after treatment were unaffected by drug therapy. The virus was recovered on one occasion from the lymphocytes of one of these cases. Neither patient showed any major defects in cellular or humoral immunity. However, the lymphocytes of the patient with stigmata of congenital rubella failed to respond to rubella virus in vitro and had a heat stable, non-dialysable serum inhibitor of in vitro protein A stimulated proliferative responses. Both patients' serum interfered with the production of interferon by normal donor lymphocytes following stimulation with rubella and varicella virus antigen. Increasing serum titres of interferon which did not appear to be lymphoid or immune-specific in origin were found in these two cases.