Neoantigen Response in Patients Successfully Treated for Lymphoma

Abstract

To ascertain the cellular immune function of patients successfully treated for lymphoma, skin-test reactivity to a battery of recall antigens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and the neoantigens keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was measured. Patients (74) with Hodgkin''s disease and 31 patients with non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma were studied from 3-186 mo. after cessation of therapy for lymphoma. Although reactivity to recall antigens and PHA was normal, the number of patients responding to the neoantigens was significantly (P < 0.01) lower than normal (KLH, 35%; and DNCB, 34%). This impairment in reactivity to neoantigens could not be correlated with specific diagnosis; stage of disease, or type of treatment. Reactivity to DNCB was significantly (P < 0.01) improved in those patients studied more than 3 yr after treatment, but the number who reacted was still markedly abnormal (17 of 33). Thus, successfully treated patients with lymphoma seem to have difficulty in responding to new foreign antigens.