Persisting lymphocyte deficiences during remission in Hodgkin's disease.

Blood lymphocytes from nineteen patients with Hodgkin's disease were tested in vitro before and after treatment. The patients were retested in complete and unmaintained remission at least 15 months after termination of radiotherapy. All patients except two had been treated with total nodal irradiation. The lymphocyte-DNA synthesis induced by concanavalin A (Con A) and PPD was poor and the spontaneous DNA synthesis was increased in untreated patients. Most patients had a T lymphocytopenia before treatment. After irradiation the total lymphocyte counts were reduced drastically. The number of T lymphocytes was particularly low, though the number of B lymphocytes decreased as well. However, the lymphocyte response to Con A and PPD remained low and unchanged. The results may suggest a persisting immunodeficiency in Hodgkin's disease as reflected by the lymphocyte response to Con A and PPD.