Sensitisation to Hodgkin's disease spleen tissue in patients with malignant lymphoma: follow-up study.

The leucocyte migration responses of patients with malignant lymphoma to an unidentified factor in Hodgkin's spleen tissue were serially studied and related to clinical progress. Initial sensitisation responses did not correlate with presenting histological or clinical status or with subsequent clinical progress. Enhancement of responses after treatment, however, was associated with good clinical progress. In patients who relapsed, sensitisation to spleen factor diminished, whereas responses were preserved at one year in those in maintained remission. Sensitisation to the splenic factor may be a useful index of response to treatment in patients with malignant lymphoma; diminishing sensitisation may indicate relapse.