Acute multiple sclerosis exacerbations are characterized by low cerebrospinal fluid suppressor/cytotoxic T-cells.

The present study describes peripheral blood (PB) and CSF T-lymphocyte subpopulations in 55 MS patients with and without acute exacerbation and compares the results with those obtained from 8 with CNS infections and 45 with other neurological disorders or symptoms (OND). The MS patients were most strongly characterized by a decline of their CSF suppressor/cytotoxic T-cells, which was most profound during acute exacerbations. The proportional amount of CSF helper/inducer T-cells (Th) was higher in both MS group than in the OND group, but not different from that of the CNS infection group. No statistically significant change in the CSF Th-cells during exacerbations was seen. MS patients without an exacerbation had somewhat higher levels of their PB Th-cells than the patients with OND, but otherwise no differences in the PB T-cell subsets were seen.