Parvovirus B19 and mumps virus antibodies are major constituents of the intrathecal immune response in European patients with MS and increase the diagnostic sensitivity and discriminatory power of the MRZ reaction

A positive MRZ reaction, as defined by intrathecal IgG production against at least two of its constituents, measles virus (M), rubella virus (R) and varicella zoster virus (Z), is detectable in ~ 63% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is currently considered the laboratory marker with the highest specificity and positive likelihood ratio for MS. However, M, R and Z are only the most well-established constituents of a broader...