Inflammatory infiltrates and natural killer cell presence in human brain tumors.

Immunohistochemical analysis of subpopulations of inflammatory cells in 81 primary and secondary human brain tumors was done. Natural killer (NK) cells, representing non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted, spontaneous cytotoxicity and monocytic cells are virtually absent in infiltrates of gliomas and account only for a minor percentage of inflammatory cells in brain metastases of carcinoma and in craniopharyngeomas. Infiltrates in gliomas consist almost exclusively of T-cells of the suppressor/cytotoxic type whereas infiltrates in carcinoma metastases and craniopharyngeomas contain considerable numbers of T-helper/inducer cells and B-cells. From this the authors conclude (1) that NK cells do not play a major role in tumor rejection, and (2) that the kind of inflammatory reaction does not depend upon the tumor site but more likely on the tumor type. No correlation between tumor differentiation and infiltrate composition is evident.

Borrelia-induced meningoradiculitis--two different forms of the disease.

The pattern of CSF cytological findings in the acute stage and after 10 days of antibiotic and steroid treatment was examined in 14 patients with meningoradiculitis due to an arthropode-transmitted infection with Borrelia duttoni (burgdorferi). At the acute onset of neurological symptoms, 12 patients revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis (cell count 50-500 X 10(6) cells/l) with numerous plasma cells (5-12% of the total cell count) and neutrophilic granulocytes (0.2-3.4%). 10-14 days after the onset of penicillin infusion and steroid treatment, cell count was reduced by at least 50% in 8 patients. Plasma cells then varied between 2 and 8%, whereas the neutrophilic granulocytes had disappeared. Two patients with slowly progressive neurological symptoms had a normal cell count, and inflammatory changes in CSF cytology were not observed.