Immunologic Study on the Inner Ear: Immunoglobulins in Perilymph

The immunoglobulin composition of perilymph (PL) was measured using electroimmunodiffusion, and transfer of serum antibodies to PL was studied using a passive hemagglutination test in chinchillas and guinea pigs. The mean values of IgG and albumin in PL were two to four times greater than those in CSF. In guinea pigs, IgA was found in 93% of the PL and 32% of the CSF samples, but in chinchillas only trace amounts of IgA were found in 50% of the PL and 15% of the CSF samples. No IgM was detected in PL or CSF of either species. This study suggests that a greater portion of the immunoglobulins in PL probably is derived from perilymphatic blood vessels as a filtrate and that the perilymphatic inner ear immune system is independent from that of the CSF.