The monitoring of lymphocyte subpopulations in non Hodgkin lymphoma patients during chemotherapy.

Numerous examinations of the changes in B, T, null subpopulations were systematically carried out in 20 non Hodgkin lymphoma patients 8, 24, 48 hours after the therapy onset and subsequently at intervals of a few days during and after each chemotherapy cycle (COP, Knospe). T cells were evaluated by examining the receptor for neuraminidase pretreated sheep erythrocytes (nE), B lymphocytes by detecting surface immunoglobulins (SmIg) with normal and Fc deprived anti Fab2 globulin, moreover receptors for mouse erythrocytes (Em) and for C3 (EAC) were examined. A characteristic rise of the dominating subpopulation was observed during the first phase of the drug application which, most probably, was due to an expulsion of the pathological cells from involved lymphatic organs to the blood. On the basis of our clinical observations a conclusion has been drown, that this type of monitoring possibly renders a maximal effective treatment, enables the control of the accompanying immunosuppression and offers an additional criterion of the remission.