A panel of monoclonal antibodies with well-defined specificities were used as probes to investigate the phenotypes and lineage of circulating lymphoid cells and splenocytes in untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease. A signficant relative and absolute reduction in T cells (anti-T3+) was found only in patients with B-symptoms. There was no alteration in the fraction of helper (anti-T4+) or cytotoxiclsuppressor (anti-TS+) T cells circulating in peripheral blood when compared to normals, nor was there activation of these cells as measured by the development of surface Ia (anti-11+). Circulating T cell subsets were not altered 5 to 14 days after splenectomy. Splenic T cells were increased equally in involved and uninvolved spleen when compared with control spleens obtained from accident victims. These findings indicate that abnormal T cell function in Hodgkin's disease may be the result of subtle alterations in T cells or non-T immunoregulatory mechanisms.
Cancer 48:1170-1176, 1981. O D G K I N ' S DISEASE I S associated with several H selective deficits in T-cell-mediated immune responses. For example, previous studies have shown that delayed hypersensitivity, homograft rejection, and in vitro T-cell responses are impaired in untreated patients.'-" In contrast, โฌ3-cell function remains relatively intact until terminal stages of the The basis for these abnormalities is not clear, since contradictory results have been obtained utilizing Erosetting techniques and anti-T-cell heteroantisera to enumerate T-cell populations. Both normal and reduced percentages of circulating T cells have been reported in untreated patient^.^,"' L , 1 4 ~2 0 M oreover, altered proportions of functional subpopulations as determined by Fc receptor assay have also been noted,21-2 3 as well as active suppressor popula-With the development of monoclonal antibodies directed at lymphoid cell surface antigens, it has become possible to characterize human lymphoid populations. Work in this laboratory has previously shown that the monoclonal antibody anti-T3 reacts with an antigen tions. 14.24.25