Study of some Immunological Parameters in Untreated Patients with Hodgkin’s Disease

Abstract

The immunological reactivity of 40 untreated patients with Hodgkin’s disease was studied by some in vitro tests exploring the lymphocyte function, The response of lymphocytes to PHA was markedly depressed in the advanced stages of the disease, but it appeared significantly decreased also in the initial stages when a suboptimal concentration of the stimulant was used to activate the cells in culture. No significant correlation was found between the depressed lymphocyte response to PHA and a particular histologic pattern of the disease, even though patients with lymphocyte predominance and nodular sclerosis usually showed the best responses. The decrease of PHA-stimulability was not dependent on the activity of free serum factors or by the usually high number of phagocytic cells contaminating the standard quantity of lymphocytes in culture. Nor was it due, at least in the initial phases of the disease, to a depletion of circulating cells able to respond to PHA. In fact, the percentage of Ig-bearing lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was usually normal; E rosette-forming cells were present in normal number in the initial stages of the disease and their percentage was markedly decreased only in a very small number of patients with advanced disease. Virtually all the patients with positive delayed-type skin reactions to PPD and Candida, but also many of those without skin reactivity showed a significant in vitro response to the same antigens. The responding capacity in MLC of lymphocytes was not significantly reduced in comparison to that of normal controls; the stimulatory efficacy of the same cells was decreased in some patients but, at group level, did not appear significantly lower of that of normal controls. An increased level of IgE immunoglobulin could be demonstrated in the serum of many patients with HD. The data here reported demonstrate that a functional defect of lymphocytes is a very frequent finding in untreated patients with HD; they also show that of the tests available for the study of lymphocyte function, the PHA-stimulability seems to be the more sensitive and its alteration always precedes the development of T lymphopenia.

Altered Proportion of Tμ and Tγ‐Cell Subpopulations in Patients with Hodgkin's Disease

“…In a previous paper we demonstrated that the great majority of untreated patients with HD have normal percentages of E-RFC in peripheral blood [14]. These data, which now we can confirm in another population of untreated patients with HD, are in agreement with those reported by Gajl-Peczalska et al [8] and Graze et al [9].…”

“…Detection of lymphocyte surface markers. E-RFC and Ig-bearing lymphocytes were detected by techniques previously reported [14].…”

Displacement of T Lymphocytes with the ‘Helper/Inducer’ Phenotype from Peripheral Blood to Lymphoid Organs in Untreated Patients with Hodgkin's Disease

“…Several investigators including us have reported the proportions and functional study of T and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood (PB) of patients with untreated HD. Although there is general agreement that some T lymphocyte functions are impaired, a controversy exists in regard to the number of T cells evaluated by conventional surface markers, some studies reporting normal (10,11,26) and others reduced values (9,14) of E-rosette forming cells (E-RFC) in the PB of untreated patients with HD. An altered proportion of T lymphocyte subsets showing receptor for IgG (Ty) or for IgM (Tp) has also been demonstrated in HD (12,27), but subsequent studies have provided evidence that most of E-RFC having receptor for Fcy (FcyR) are not T lymphocytes (24).…”

Short- and long-term effects of radiation on T-cell subsets in peripheral blood of patients with Hodgkin's disease

“…E-rosette forming cells and Ig-bearing lymphocytes were detected by techniques previously reported. 26 T cells bearing receptors for the Fc portion of IgG (TG) or IgM (T,) were determined as detailed elsehere.^"^^ TG cells were identified by rosetting purified T cells with ox red blood cells (ORBC), which had been coated with anti-ORBC rabbit IgG (EAG rosettes). After overnight incubation at 37 C in 20% fetal calf serum (FCS), T M cells were identified by rosette formation with ORBC coated with anti-ORBC rabbit IgM (EAM rosettes).…”