[Immunology of multiple sclerosis]

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease which involves only the central nervous system. The intrathecal immunologic response consists mainly of local antibody production by immunocytes located in the central nervous system. The role of such immunocytes is obscure. Investigations of the immunological status of multiple sclerosis patients have shown increases in some antiviral antibodies, a cytotoxic cellular response against central nervous system cells, and abnormal proportions of lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood. Impairment of immunological control mechanisms seems highly probable.