Prostaglandin-Producing Suppressor Cells in Hodgkin's Disease

Abstract

We examined the role of a prostaglandin producing suppressor cell in the hyporesponsiveness to phytohemagglutinin seen in Hodgkin's disease.Addition of indomethacin to phytohemagglutinin cultures of lymphocytes from six patients with Hodgkin's disease resulted in an increase of 182±60 per cent in 3H-thymidine incorporation versus a 44±18 per cent increase in 29 controls (mean ± S.D., P<0.001). Without indomethacin the mean response of the lymphocytes in Hodgkin's disease was 48 per cent of that of control. With indomethacin it was 94 per cent of the control value.Phytohemagglutinin cultures of Hodgkin-disease lymphocytes produced approximately fourfold more prostaglandin E2 after 48 hours than did normal lymphocytes (P<0.02). Removal of glass-adherent cells markedly decreased the enhancement seen with indomethacin; it reduced prostaglandin E2 production by more than 80 per cent and eliminated the differences in response to phytohemagglutinin between Hodgkin-disease and normal lymphocytes. Thus, a glass-adherent, prostaglandin-producing suppressor cell is responsible for the hyporesponsiveness to phytohemagglutinin seen with Hodgkin-disease lymphocytes. (N Engl J Med 297:963–968, 1977)