Mitotic activity and chromosomal findings in lymph nodes from patients with carcinoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

We studied the chromosomal constitution of lymph node cells from two patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, one patient with Crohn's disease, and four patients with carcinoma, using regional lymph nodes that microscopically did not contain metastatic tumor. No consistent chromosomal abnormalities were detected and normal metaphases were predominant. We also studied the mitotic activity of lymph node cell suspensions from six patients with carcinomas. Mitoses were always more abundant after 3-4 days in culture, and were consistently higher in cultures to which phytohemagglutinin had not been added. No mitotic activity was seen in lymph nodes that histologically were shown to contain metastatic carcinoma. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.