Cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis do not increase immunoglobulin or measles antibody production after stimulation with pokeweed mitogen.
Cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytes (CSF-L) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and acute aseptic meningoencephalitis (AM) were cultured without and in the presence of pokeweed mitogen (PWM), a polyclonal B cell activator. IgG, IgA and IgM as well as measles IgG antibody production was measured in 7-day-culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MS CSF-L did not respond with increased Ig production after PWM stimulation, in contrast to AM CSF-L which responded to PWM with a modest increase of production of all 3 Ig classes, especially IgG. PBL responded to PWM with a pronounced production of IgG, IgA and especially IgM, showing no difference between MS, AM and healthy controls. CSF-L from only 1 of 7 patients with MS showed increased measles IgG antibody production after PWM stimulation. The poor response of MS CSF-L might be due to maximal activation of B lymphocytes in vivo, thereby limiting further Ig production after stimulation in vitro.
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens