Proliferation of multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytes after stimulation with measles virus antigens

A method for measuring the proliferative response of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytes upon stimulation and mitogens and viral antigens has been developed. The number of lymphoid cells in DNA synthesis after in vitro stimulation is counted and the results expressed as a percentage of the total number of surviving lymphocytes. Preliminary results on four MS patients indicated that their CSF lymphocytes responded considerably more strongly to purified measles virus antigen than did corresponding peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The responses to crude herpes virus antigen were at least as strong in PBL as in CSF lymphocyte cultures from the same patients. The CSF lymphocytes responded slightly stronger to phytohemagglutinin than PBL did.

Lymphocyte blast transformation responses in measles infection

Lymphocyte blast transformation responses were studied in eight patients with natural measles infection. A specific response to purified measles virus antigen and a weaker response to crude measles virus antigen were found after infection. The response to purified measles antigen appeared 1-3 weeks after the beginning of the rash, when the great number of proliferating mononuclear cells found in the peripheral blood during the rash was declining. In the first weeks after onset of the rash also leucocyte and lymphocyte numbers were decreased, and specific responses to purified tuberculin (PPD) and to rubella and mumps virus antigens were suppressed. In mitogen stimulation tests there was no significant suppression of phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin responses in this small series, but the response to pokeweed mitogen was decreased. The responses to antigens other than measles virus antigens recovered in parallel with the increase of the measles-specific response.

HLA genetics of insulin-dependent juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus in northern Finland

HLA--A, B and C antigens were determined from 63 cases of juvenile-onset, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in northern Finland. There was a very strong association between IDDM and HLA--B8 and B15 antigens in this area where the incidence of IDDM is also high. Relative risks for B8 and B15 were 4.8 and 3.8, respectively. In a small group of subjects typed for HLA--D antigens Dw3 and Dw4 appeared to be stronger risk factors than associated B antigens, whereas Dw2 was almost totally absent in the patients. The effect of combinations of B8 and B15 antigens in unrelated patients and in diabetic families was analyzed. B8, B15 was found in 11 out of 63 unrelated diabetics; however, this did not differ significantly from the expected value. In diabetic families there was no increased rate of intra-HLA recombinations.

Lymphocyte blast transformation response of seropositive and seronegative subjects to herpes simplex, rubella, mumps and measles virus antigens

Lymphocytes from seronegative and seropositive subjects were stimulated in vitro with herpes simplex, rubella, mumps and measles viral antigens. Viral antigens were beta-propiolactone inactivated crude material (containing cell-membrane fragments) grown in Vero cells and prepared identically. Lymphocytes from seropositive subjects responded specifically to herpes virus antigen, and most rubella and mumps seropositive subjects responded to the respective antigens. Measles antigen, however, did not stimulate lymphocytes from seropositive or seronegative subjects. The responses of three subjects studied repeatedly over a period of several weeks were reproducible. The results of the study support the usefulness of the blast transformation test as a measure of sensitization to viruses.

HLA-Dw2 as a marker of resistance against juvenile diabetes mellitus

Juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus (JDM) is one of the human diseases shown to be associated with histocompatibility antigens. The occurrence of serologically defined HLA antigens B8 Bw15, B18 and Cw3 is increased among these patients (Singal & Blajchman 1973, Nerup et al. 1974, Cudworth & Woodrow 1975). However, lymphocyte defined HLA-D antigens Dw3 and Dw4 (LD 8a and LD w15a), positively associated with these serologically defined antigens, seem to be even stronger markers of susceptibility to this disease (Thomsen et al. 1975).

Proliferating cells in demyelinating states

Proliferation of mononuclear cells was examined with an autoradiography method in the CSF and peripheral blood of 13 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), serially during activation of disease in one patient with subacute sclerosis panencephalitis (SSPE), and in some control patients with various neurological conditions. High cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cell labelling indices, up to 1.7%, which could not be directly related to the clinical activity of the disease, were found in some MS patients. During activation of SSPE there was marked increase in labelled cells of CSF, up to 4.3%. In controls, corresponding CSF indices ranged from less than 0.1% to 0.4%. Mononuclear cells in CSF and peripheral blood behaved as clearly different cell populations.

Specificity of the inhibitory effect of a grand-multipara serum on MLC reactions and on responses to PHA, PWM and PPD

An MLC reaction inhibiting serum from a grand-multiparous woman (16 successful pregnancies) is described. The serum producer had the HLA antigen A3;Bw35/Aw19;B18;Dw2 and her husband the antigens A28;Bw35/Aw16;B18;Dw2, and they responded to each other in one-way MLC. The serum had the following characteristics: (1) it inhibited many but not all donors as stimulators in MLC; (2) it usually inhibited these same donors as responders in MLC, but clearly to a lesser degree and with a much lower titre; (3) the inhibition of the stimulating function followed HLA haplotypes in families, and seemed to have HLA-D associated specificity, inhibiting HLA-Dw3 and Dw6 homozygous but not HLA-Dw2 or Dw4 homozygous cells as stimulators; (4) it inhibited more strongly the PWM and PPD responses than the MLC responses of relevant cells; (5) the IgG fraction of the serum had characteristics similar to the non-fractionated serum; (6) the inhibitory effect on MLC reactions and PWM and PPD responses was not absorbable by specific red blood cells or platelets, but could be removed or diminished by specific lymphocytes; (7) the serum was not cytotoxic in the complement-dependent test against non-fractionated mononuclear cells or enriched B-lymphocytes. The findings and the possible biological and clinical significance of human Ia-like antibodies are discussed.

HLA antigens and antibody responses to measles and rubella viruses in multiple sclerosis

Twenty-four HLA-antigens coded by loci A and B were determined serologically for 60 multiple sclerosis patients from Northern Finland. Forty-five of the patients were also typed by mixed leucocyte culture reactivity for HLA-Dw2. The only statistically significant difference in antigen frequencies in these patients compared with those in controls was the decrease of HLA-A2 among patients. Measles and rubella antibody titres in patients with and without HLA-Dw2 and HLA-B7 antigens were compared using a sensitive radioimmunoassay method. There was no difference between age- and sex-matched patient groups.