LYMPHOCYTE STIMULATION IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS UNTREATED AND TREATED WITH TRANSFER-FACTOR - LONG-TERM STUDIES ON EFFECT OF DIFFERENT STIMULANTS ON MYO-(2-H-3) INOSITOL INCORPORATION INTO PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL OF LYMPHOCYTES

Abstract

The lymphocytes from controls, untreated MS [multiple sclerosis] and MS patients treated with transfer factor were stimulated with PHA [phytohemagglutinin], PWM [pokeweed mitogen], PPD [purified protein derivative], LPS [lipopolysaccharide] and MA [measles antigen], and the increased incorporation of myoinositol into phosphatidylinositides was determined. As compared with controls, the untreated MS patients revealed significantly lower index of stimulation with PHA, LPS, PPD and MA. The response of lymphocytes from MS patients treated with transfer factor was intermediate. No correlation between disease progression and stimulation of inositol incorporation was observed. A variance analysis showed that the myoinositol test is not applicable in long-term studies to distinguish between the patients; it is useful for determining differences between MS patients and controls.