The behaviour of OKT3-, OKT4- and OKT8-positive cells during phases of elevated spontaneous chemiluminescence activity (CL-A) in multiple sclerosis patients. A serial study.

The chemiluminescence activity (CL-A; synonym=burst activity, BA) and the percentage of OKT3-, OKT4-and OKT8-positive peripheral blood cells were serially examined in four control persons and in eight patients with multiple sclerosis. When the OKT values obtained in phases of increased CL-A (clinical remission) were compared with those of the control group, the percentage of OKT3-positive cells was reduced (P=0.014), and that of OKT4-positive cells increased (P=0.014); there were no significant changes in the percentage of OKT8-positive cells (P=0.171). After the CL-A had returned to normal values, the OKT4-positive cells remained elevated (P=0.029), whereas the OKT3- (P=0.342) and OKT8-positive cells (P=0.443) showed no significant changes. When in the same patients, phases of increased CL-A were compared with phases in which values were not elevated, a reduced percentage of OKT3-positive cells was found in phases with increased CL-A (P=0.031); however, the OKT4-positive and OKT8-positive cells did not differ significantly (P=0.156 and 0.281).