Impaired phytohaemagglutinin-induced cytotoxicity in vitro of lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease or chronic lymphatic leukaemia.

Abstract

Lymphocytes from healthy, unsensitized donors damage allogeneic tissue culture target cells in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). In this investigation, blood lymphocytes from eleven patients with clinically active Hodgkin's disease and from eight patients with chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) were tested in vitro for PHA-induced cytotoxicity to Chang cells. Blastoid transformation and DNA-synthesis in the presence of PHA were studied in parallel experiments. The cytotoxicity of the patients' lymphocytes was significantly lower than that of lymphocytes from healthy donors. Synthesis of DNA and blastoid transformation was subnormal in all cases of CLL and in most cases with Hodgkin's disease. A good correlation between cytotoxicity and stimulation by PHA was observed in most cases.