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Impaired B-lymphocyte reactivity in patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin-lymphomas

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Summary

The generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells upon stimulation with pokeweed mitogen was studied in patients with Hodgkin's Disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) using a reverse hemolytic plaque assay. The experiments revealed that the majority of the patients in both groups had greatly diminished responses of their peripheral B-lymphocytes. Whereas in NHL patients an intrinsic B-cell defect is the most likely explanation for the impaired B-cell reactivity, the situation in HD appears to be more complex. In some patients with an active stage of the disease, suppressor cells were found to cause the unresponsiveness: in other patients, an intrinsic B-cell defect as well as a defect of the T helper cells were responsible for the diminished responses. The results further suggest that the immune defect in patients with HD is reversible and can be corrected by therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hämatologische Abteilung, Klinikum Steglitz der freien Universität Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, D-1000, Berlin 45

    H. Rühl MD, B. Enders, M. Bur & G. Sieber

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  1. H. Rühl MD
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  2. B. Enders
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  3. M. Bur
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  4. G. Sieber
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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ru 215/2).

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Rühl, H., Enders, B., Bur, M. et al. Impaired B-lymphocyte reactivity in patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin-lymphomas. Blut 42, 271–281 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00996844

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00996844

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