Differences between lymphocyte subsets of the cerebrospinal fluid in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and acute aseptic meningitis.

In CSF of patients with acute aseptic meningitis (AAM) an increase in the percentage of total and active T lymphocytes was observed, whereas in SSPE a decrease in T cells was noted. In SSPE there was the increase in the relative number of lymphocytes bearing "avid" FcIgG receptor and decrease in alpha-naphthyl nonspecific esterase-positive cells, but in AAM the cell proportions were not disturbed. The changes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes subsets were less evident. The results seem to suggest that in AAM there is a strong T response in CSF with well preserved proportions of T-cell subsets, while in SSPE a low T-cell level may be accompanied by disturbances in T-cell function.