Cerebrospinal fluid T and B lymphocyte kinetics related to exacerbations of multiple sclerosis.

Cerebrospinal fluid T and B lymphocyte populations were identified in 21 patients with relapsing and 10 patients with stable multiple sclerosis. The results indicate that the percentage of T cell is largest in the acute stage of a relapse (65 percent) and diminishes by the second week (41 percent). Conversely, the stable patients had a lower percentage of T cells (30 percent) and a relatively high percentage of nonreacting cells (66 percent). The proportion of T cells in the cerebrospinal fluid varies directly with the clinical activity of the disorder, further implicating cellular immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.