[Functional activity of lymphocytes in multiple sclerosis]

The paper is concerned with the functional activity of blood lymphocytes in the reaction of blast-cell transformation encountered in 17 patients with disseminated sclerosis and in 17 normal donors. The synthesis of lymphocyte DNA was measured by the radioisotope method and its increase under the impact of PHA. The stage of exacerbation of the disease was characterized by a significant increase of the DNA synthesis under the impact of DNA compared to the remission stage. The same regularities were found in the same patients examined both in the stage of remission and exacerbation. A higher degree of increased DNA synthesis under the impact of PHA is assessed as an index of lymphocyte sensitation. The possible role of lymphocyte sensitation in the pathogenesis of exacerbations of disseminated sclerosis is discussed.