Binding of soluble immune complexes in serum of patients with Hodgkin's disease to tissue cultures derived from the tumor.

We examined 90 serums from patients with Hodgkin's disease for immune complexes and for reactivity with established monolayer tissue cultures prepared from the tumor. All 23 serums with immune complex levels greater than 20 microgram per milliliter were found to react with cultured cells of patients with Hodgkin's disease when tested with antiserums against immunoglobulin heavy and light chains and the C3 component of complement. Five of 11 serums with borderline elevations of immune complexes (10 to 20 microgram per milliliter) and only four of 56 with levels less than 10 microgram per milliliter reacted. Absorption of patients' serums with cultured cells removed immune complexes and eliminated binding to monolayers. Immune-complex-containing serums from 19 control patients did react with cultured cells of patients with Hodgkin's disease; none of serums reacted with normal cultured spleen. Antibodies within complement-containing immune complexes in serums of patients with Hodgkin's disease react with an antigen on the surface of cultured cells of such patients.