Plasma activity inducing polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) aggregation, chemotactic plasma activity, and plasma activity augmenting PMN adherence in untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease. Possible relationship to disseminated intravascular complement activation.

The activity inducing PMN aggregation, the chemotactic activity, and the activity augmenting PMN adherence were estimated in plasma of 40 untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease. The first two activities were evident in all patients with advanced clinical stages (III and IV). It seems to be the result of disseminated intravascular complement activation due to the circulating immune complexes. The plasma activity augmenting PMN adherence was similarly noticed, except for 1, in patients with advanced stages of the disease, but only when the general symptoms were present. Our results, if confirmed, might be helpful in improving clinical staging of patients with Hodgkin's disease.