Spontaneous and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood and spleen from adult untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease.

Subpopulations of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and spleen from adult untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease were studied for spontaneous (SCMC) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicities (ADCC). Peripheral blood from seven of 24 patients demonstrated abnormally low T cell-mediated SCMC when compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Only two of these patients also demonstrated low T cell ADCC and non-T cell-mediated SCMC and ADCC. T cell ADCC in the peripheral blood of patients with involved spleen was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) when compared to those in whom spleen was not involved. When SCMC and ADCC were compared between peripheral blood and splenic lymphocytes with regard to involvement of spleen by Hodgkin's disease, non-T cell SCMC in the involved spleen was significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than their peripheral blood non-T cell SCMC. SCMC and ADCC tended to be higher in patients with stages III and IV of Hodgkin's disease when compared to those with stages I and II. However, the differences were not statistically significant. No direct relationship was observed between T and SCMC or ADCC and the proportion of T cells with IgG Fc receptors (T gamma). The significance of these observations is discussed.