In vitro lymphocyte transformation of MS patients to paramyxovirus antigens.

The immune response of 21 MS patients and 21 healthy volunteers was tested in vitro lymphocyte transformation assay. The stimulating antigens were measles, mumps, parainfluenza, E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. MS patients were found to respond similarly to the normal controls to all antigens tested with the exception of mumps antigen. The maximum responses of the MS patients to this antigen were significantly lower than those observed for the normals. However, since 95 per cent of the MS lower maximum responses were still within the positive range, the immunological significance of this phenomenon will require further clarification.