To detect the changes of cellular immunity which occur at the same time as the pathological process and to find out the possible biologic indicators with prognostic value, a study was carried out on 140 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) in different clinical periods: onset, under therapy (cytostatics and/or irradiations), remission, after splenectomy and under immunotherapy. The study of cellular immunity included the determination of lymphocytes subpopulations by the rosette tests and their functional estimation by tests of blastic transformation to mitogens and antigens. Though the values obtained presented a wide dispersion, the rosette tests showed variations in correlation with the clinical stage, therefore with the severity of disease. It was observed that therapy and splenectomy change the cellular immunity tests. The only test with a certain prognostic value was found to be the in vitro lymphocyte response to PPD which became positive after therapy, particularly in the group of patients who showed good response to treatment. A dynamic follow-up of the cellular immunity tests might give an indication on the mechanisms of production of the immune deficit in HD.

Hodgkin Disease↗

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Phenotypic and functional changes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The study was carried out in 170 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at the onset, grouped according to RAI staging system, and in 20 controls. Using the rosette tests (E4 degrees, E 29 degrees, EAC and M) different lymphocytic subpopulations were detected. Their functional competence was studied by in vitro response to mitogens (PHA, PWM) and to an antigen (PPD). As it is well known the mean values of these parameters in CLL were found significantly reduced as compared to controls. But when compared according to the five clinical stages in CLL, two main aspects were observed. (a) stage 0 of the disease differs from the other clinical stages by the significantly low mean values of the parameters characteristic of the B cell line namely EAC rosetting and the in vitro response to PPD and PWM. Stage 0 of the disease is closer to the normal values; (b) the response of the PWM-stimulated T-dependent B cells decreases gradually and significantly with the clinical course of the disease and hence with the advance of clinical stages. The functional contribution of the various lymphocytic populations in this test is discussed as well as their possible implication in the pathogenesis of the disease.

B-Lymphocytes↗