Immunological study of patients with Hodgkin's disease in long lasting not maintained complete remission

Immunological parameters have been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo in 20 Hodgkin's disease patients in continuous not maintained complete remission for at least 3 yr. IgG, IgA and IgM levels were within the normal range. Delayed sensitivity, assayed by a battery of recall antigens, was normal too in the majority of patients. The number of circulating lymphocytes was slightly inferior to normal controls. T cells, evaluated by the rosette E formation, seem to be diminished; on the contrary, B cells, evaluated by the membrane immunofluorescence, were increased in respect to normal controls. The differences are statistically significant. Timidine uptake of PHA stimulated lymphocytes was diminished too. It is concluded that even if these patients' clinical behaviour is like that of normal population, it is possible to find a disorder in in vitro parameters which could be attributable to long lasting effect of the therapy and/or to the persistence of serum factors acting as anti-T cell antibodies.