Lymphocyte subpopulations in blood and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with acute Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The numbers of T and B lymphocytes were determined in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 25 patients with acute Guillain-Barré syndrome and from 30 controls. The relative and absolute number of T lymphocytes in blood was decreased in the patient group (mean 48 +/- 2% and 947 +/- 71/mm3 compared to 66 +/- 2% and 1,381 +/- 93/mm3 in controls). Correspondingly, the number of B lymphocytes was increased (mean 37 +/- 2% and 758 +/- 75/mm3 compared to 25 +/- 2% and 580 +/- 45/mm3 in controls). In the CSF the number of T lymphocytes was increased (85.0 +/- 2.2% compared to 76.9 +/- 2.4% in controls).