Analysis of leukocyte adherence to measles-infected cells in multiple sclerosis.

An assay for leukocyte adherence to measles-infected cells (MIC) was evaluated in 56 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), 37 normal subjects, 29 patients with nonneurological diseases, and 57 patients with other neurological diseases. In the assay, rosettes were formed consisting of three or more leukocytes adherent to one MIC. Two aspects of the rosetting phenomenon were analyzed: (1) quantity of rosettes and (2) quantity of leukocytes contained in the rosettes. By both criteria significant differences (p less than 0.05) were observed between MS patients and subjects in other groups, but data sets overlapped extensively. Results in MS patients were variable; some MIC lines produced more leukocyte adherence than did others, even though all lines had surface measles antigen present. A low degree of leukocyte adherence to uninfected cell lines was also observed frequently in MS. Exposure of MS leukocytes to extracts of MIC or oligodendroglioma tissue prior to the rosette assay significantly (p less than 0.05) decreased rosette formation. These data suggest that leukocyte adherence to target cells in MS is partially dependent on target cell expression of determinants, which may resemble glial antigens.