title: Correlation of immunological studies and disease progression in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Thirty untreated patients with clinically definite chronic progressive multiple sclerosis were matched with 10 patients with clinically stable definite multiple sclerosis and 16 patients with other neurological diseases. A group of 12 normal control (NC) volunteers was matched to these groups. All patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis and normal control subjects were analyzed for the concanavalin A suppressor assay, mitogen stimulation, and phenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In addition, serum was analyzed for interleukin-2 levels. Results of mitogen stimulation studies did not distinguish the groups. Concanavalin A-induced suppression was significantly decreased in the patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (p less than 0.01). Phenotyping of fresh cells showed an elevated CD4: CD8 ratio in the patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. Neither phenotyping nor concanavalin A-induced suppression correlated with or predicted the degree of disability, but the serum levels of interleukin-2 correlated inversely with disability (p less than 0.01) and directly with a poor prognosis after 18 months of observation (p less than 0.05). Serum levels of interleukin-2 decreased as the disease progressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McInnis
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Griffeth
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Perlmutter
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hicks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007376:Interleukin-2