[Level of circulating immune complexes in lymphogranulomatosis patients as a criterion of the status and prognosis of the disease].

Patients with Hodgkin's disease, Stage I-III, underwent combined therapy (polychemotherapy according to the COPP scheme and irradiation) combined with splenectomy and levamisole immunostimulation. The circulating immune complexes (IC), serum immunoglobulins of I, A and M classes and the activity of neutrophil phagocytosis at the stages of treatment, at varying time of remission and in relapse of disease were determined. Polychemotherapy and its combination with irradiation caused a decrease in the content of circulating IC associated with a decrease in the level of immunoglobulins and an increase in relative phagocytic activity. The addition of the immunostimulator brought about better elimination of IC from the body. Immunostimulators are particularly recommended in large irradiation doses received by patients in prophylactic irradiation of zones of the accumulation of the lymph nodes. Combined therapy (with and without immunostimulator) in the presence of splenectomy produced no effect in the elimination of IC from the body in early time after treatment. A study of the IC level in the blood serum is an important factor in the evaluation of the patients' immune status, therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of disease.