T-CELL SUBPOPULATIONS IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID AND PERIPHERAL-BLOODOF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

We analyzed the relative and absolute numbers of CD4+ cells positive a nd negative for CD45RA marker as well as the numbers of CD8+ cells pos itive and negative for CD11b in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peri pheral blood (PB) of 17 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) during a nd 60 days after an exacerbation. We also studied samples from 27 cont rol patients, 17 of whom had a noninflammatory neurologic disease and 10 of whom had an inflammatory neurologic disease other than MS. The r esults confirmed the small number of CD45RA-positive (naive or suppres sor inducer) CD4+ cells as well as CD11b-positive (suppressor) CD8+cel ls in the CSF compared with the PB for all paired CSF-bload comparison s. The relative numbers of these cells did not significantly differ be tween samples taken during an exacerbation and those taken 2 months la ter. In PB, the percentage of CD8+ CD11b-positive lymphocytes was lowe r in patients with MS or in patients with an inflammatory neurologic d isease than in patients with a noninflammatory neurologic disease. The results indicate that there are fewer cells responsible for suppressi on-related phenomena in CSF than in PB but that this phenomenon is not specific to MS.