Lymphocyte ultrastructure in patients with multiple sclerosis

The present study was undertaken to examine the ultrastructure of the lymphocytes of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and to compare it to that of the lymphocytes of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with intravenously administered immunoglobulin 0.4 mg/kg of body weight for 5 consecutive days followed by booster doses of immunoglobulin 0.4 mg/kg every two months for a total of 12 months. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy volunteers served as control. The results indicate that lymphocytes of untreated patients differ markedly by both ultrastructure, as well as the number and size of their mitochondria. Since most of these changes disappeared following treatment, it is suggested that they are an expression of lymphocyte activation in this disease.