T-lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis, patients with other neurological diseases and healthy controls.

We report our results in profiling peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations with monoclonal antibodies in 17 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 22 patients with other neurological diseases (OND), and 11 healthy controls, using a blind experiment. Untreated patients with a chronic progressive MS have higher T-helper cell (OKT4+) counts and a higher ratio OKT4+/OKT8+ than other MS patients, OND or healthy controls. Two weeks after the onset of a relapse of MS there is a decreased T-helper and an increased T-suppressor cell percentage. Treatment with ACTH results in a significant increase of helper cells after 4 weeks of therapy. Patients with the lowest helper cell counts and the lowest helper/suppressor ratio show the best clinical improvement by ACTH. High OKT4+ cell percentages make a chronic progressive course of MS more probable.