Three possible laboratory indexes Of disease activity in multiple sclerosis

In a search for an objective measure of disease activity in MS, we studied three laboratory indexes in 15 patients over 12 months, relating them to the occurrence of relapse and the development of increased disability. Relapse was associated with detection of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the CSF (p < 0.01), but not with decreased numbers of peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Persistently low T-cell numbers and more frequent detection of MBP in remission were associated with increased disability (p < 0.01). There were no associations between other CSF abnormalities and either relapse or increased disability.