Anti-lymphocyte antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and in Hodgkin's disease: a comparison by immunofluorescence.

Anti-lymphocyte antibodies of IgM type (cold reactive) in systemic lupus erythematosus and of IgG type (not cold reactive) in Hodgkin's disease have been demonstrated by immunofluorescence to attach the same target cell (T-lymphocyte.) The same behaviour of both kinds of antibodies in "co-capping" experiments confirm that the antigen on the cell surface is the same. Hypothesis about the meaning of this phenomenon are made.