Immunoglobin levels in patients with Hodgkin's disease.

The authors examined a course of immunoglobulin values (IgA, IgG, IgM) in 40 patients with the Hodgkin's disease and repeatedly in 11 healthy persons. In the patients they followed the levels of the immunoglobulins during the disease, up to 5 years. In untreated patients there were statistically significant increased IgA levels and insignificant increase of IgG. In the course of remission the immunoglobulin values were normalized. The radiotherapy did not affect significantly the value of immunoglobulins, the combined chemotherapy (COPP) led to a drop of this level. The levels of immunoglobulins are recovered after chemotherapy in the case of successful treatment. In terms of the prognosis the authors consider as unfavorable high increase in the immunoglobulin levels in untreated patients and their rapid drop during the chemotherapy. They observed an average preterminal drop of the IgA by 27%, IgG by 23% and IgM by 44% with respect to controls.