Effect of exogenous interleukins on in vitro responses of T lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin disease.

PHA-induced peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation and T-cell colony formation in soft agar was studied in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2) containing medium in untreated Hodgkin disease (HD) patients and normal controls. The proliferative response of HD PBL was potentiated in presence of IL-2-containing medium in 11 of 20 cases studied, and there was marginal increase or inhibition of PHA response in 16 normal lymphocyte samples. Lymphocytes from patients in advanced stages of the disease, and those who were initially hyporesponsive responded better to suboptimal doses of PHA in the presence of exogenous IL-2. There was no improvement in the colony forming capacity of T lymphocytes from HD PBL even in the presence of IL-2-containing medium, whereas normal T-cell colony formation was augmented significantly both in number and in size of colonies.