Quantitation of immunocompetence in Hodgkin's disease

investigated on 35 patients with Hodgkin's disease by studying their in vitro lymphocyte responsiveness to full range stimulation achieved by a spectrum of phyto-hemagglutinin concentrations. \When compared to the normal lymphocyte profile elicited from 35 control subjects, the Hodgkin's patterns of response enabled the identification of a quantifiable lymphocyte defect pres-ent in most patients regardless of their clinical status. Increasing severity of this defect was found with pro-gression of the disease and was most pronounced in pa-tients with skin anergy and absolute lymphopenia. The marked abnormality observed in patients restudied after intensive therapy returned towards normal in patients achieving a long lasting, unmaintained complete remis-sion. The data suggest the early presence of an intrinsic functional lymphocyte defect, increasing severity of which may lead to progressive immunoincompetence, reflected in vitro by impaired lymphocyte responsive-ness and in vivo by skin anergy and ultimately lvmpho-penia