Cold reactive antilymphocyte antibodies in neurological diseases.

Cold reactive (15 degrees C) antilymphocyte antibodies were detected in the sera of 33% of patients with multiple sclerosis, 50% with Guillain-Barré syndrome, 42% with myasthenia gravis, and 38% with polymyositis. We did not detect such antibodies against autologous cells in multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis there was no correlation between the presence of antilymphocytic antibodies and disease activity or duration. In patients with multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and polymyositis there was no correlation between the presence of cold reactive antilymphocyte antibodies and abnormalities of T or B cell levels.