The phagocytic activity of monocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes against viral antigens as measured by chemiluminescence in patients with multiple sclerosis

Twenty-two patients with Multiple Sclerosis in different stages of the disease were investigated in a chemiluminescence-assay and compared with a similar number of healthy individuals. The reactivity of peripheral blood monocytes to different viral antigens was followed by measurement of both the immediate oxidative activity and the development of activity through a 85-minutes period. The patients with a progressive course of the disease showed a high activity and reached maximum activity in a shorter time than the other groups, indicating an activation of the monocytes in these patients.--The patients in steady state showed a rather low activity, compared with both the other patient groups and the control group. A possible significance of these findings is discussed. The activity of the polymorphonuclear cells did not show differences in activity between the groups.