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 cells is largest in the acute stage of a relapse (65%) and diminishes by the second week (41%). Conversely, the stable patients have a lower percentage of T cells (30%) and a relatively high percentage of nonreacting cells (66%). 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.