A reconsideration of the measles-adherent leukocyte phenomenon and multiple sclerosis.

Some studies have shown that more mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients adhere to cells persistently infected (PI) with measles virus than do MNLs from controls. Some studies have shown no difference in adherence. It is suggested that the conflict between studies is merely technical. The net effect of this conflict has been to obscure the possibility of cell surface differences which underlie this adherence phenomenon and discourage further investigation of them. Given the current interest in the molecular basis of cell-cell adhesion and the new methods and reagents available to study it, the problem of identifying cell surface differences between normal and MS leukocytes can now be more readily approached. An investigation of the MS MNL cell surface using these new methods is suggested.