[Suppressor cell activity in multiple sclerosis and other nervous system diseases. Preliminary report]

3H-Thymidine incorporation was assessed in concanavalin A-stimulated cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy subjects and multiple sclerosis patients. At the same time the counts of T and B lymphocytes were determined in peripheral blood and the activity of suppressor cells was determined in vitro by the method of Shou et all. in these patients and in other neurological diseases. The studied immunological parameters showed some variability in patients with multiple sclerosis: at the time of exacerbations the activity of suppressor cells decreased and the mitogenic response to Con A was impaired. In remissions and in slowly progressive cases of multiple sclerosis the activity of suppressor cells was increased, particularly in elderly patients. The reported investigations demonstrated that disturbances in the functions of suppressor cells occur also in other neurological diseases. The role of the observed disturbances in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis is discussed.