Cell-mediated immunity in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

The cell immune response, in vivo and in vitro, was investigated in eight patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Although the disease had been diagnosed at different stages and despite the persistently high titers of humoral antibodies, a definite deficiency of cellular immunity, as indicated by skin reactions to common antigens and by migration inhibition factor to specific antigens, was found in all the patients. The cellular immune response of two patients treated with small amounts of transfer factor was temporarily restored by their clinical state did not improve.