The events of the cellular immune response in neurocysticercosis (NC) are not fully understood. Studies of the CD3, CD3/CD4, CD3/CD8, CD45/CD19, and CD45/CD56 molecules and activation-related CD69 molecule in cells from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) of patients with NC may provide a better elucidation of the inflammatory and immunological events occurring in this disease. Seven patients with NC and 3 individuals with other disorders were evaluated by a three-color flow cytometric method. CD69 was detected in a higher percentage of cells in all CSF samples from patients, but not in PB or CSF from the control group. The percentage of CD3+ cells did not differ significantly in CSF and PB cells from patients and controls. The predominance of CD3+CD8+ cells was observed in CSF from one patient and in PB from 2 patients, who were in stage III of the disease (inflammatory process). The percentage of CD45+CD19+ cells was higher in CSF than in PB from patients who presented anti-cysticercus antibodies in CSF. The percentage of CD45+CD56+ cells in CSF was higher than in PB, but this rate was similar to reference values reported by other authors. Our data suggest that the cytometric method applied to a larger number of CSF samples may provide a better understanding of the cell-mediated immune response involved in NC.