Clinical significance of adhesive properties of leukocytes and blood serum in patients with multiple sclerosis

Adhesive blood properties have been studied in 100 MS patients with the help of the new method developed on the basis of the leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) test, which was based on the calculation of the ratio of adhesive cells to non-adhesive ones. The value obtained was called the Index of Spontaneous Adhesion (ISA), while the respective indicator reflecting the effect of adhesion strengthening under the influence of autoserum, being expressed by 30% and more, was named the Effect of the Adhesion Strengthening (ES-a). Blood samples of 54 donors and 31 patients with other neurological diseases were used as controls. Statistically significant increase of ISA values of MS patients was detected as compared to the group of donors. The highest indices of ISA and ES-a were found in the primarily progressive course and at the stage of MS exacerbation in the remitting course. Correlation between levels of adhesion and clinical features as well as parameters of clinical and humoral immunity are described. A role of membrane and soluble forms of adhesion molecules in initiation and progression of the immunologic process in MS is discussed.