Antibody in cerebrospinal fluid in non-meningitic coccidioidomycosis

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 19 patients with non-meningeal coccidioidomycosis was found to contain coccidioidal antibodies. The complement fixation test was negative with these specimens but antibodies could be demonstrated after concentrating the CSF and testing by immunodiffusion. The serum complement fixation titer of these patients was generally 1:16 or higher. Five additional patients with non-meningeal coccidioidomycosis had no detectable coccidioidal antibody in their CSF by complement fixation or immunodiffusion. It is suggested that with sufficiently high serum IgG antibody titers, antibody may pass into the CSF in the absence of CNS involvement.