Multiple sclerosis. T lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid and blood.

Peripheral blood from 21 patients with active and 19 patients with stable multiple sclerosis (MS), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 7 of the patients with active disease were examined for T lymphocytes by rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes. Increased numbers of T cells were found in CSF in active disease (94.0 +/- 0.7 compared to 71.3 +/- 4.4% in controls). Decreased relative and absolute numbers of T cells were found in peripheral blood in active, but not in stable disease (mean 47 +/- 3 and 957 +/- 93%/mm3 compared to 66 +/- 2 and 1,381 +/- 93%/mm3 in controls).