title: T-lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis, patients with other neurological diseases and healthy controls.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002196:Capillaries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D012008:Recurrence; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone